Git - Users can't easily modify staged files

[hamirmahal]

Type: Bug

1. Make changes to a text file.
2. Stage the changes.
3. Open the staged changes.
4. Type in the editor.

VS Code version: Code 1.103.2 (6f17636, 2025-08-20T16:45:34.255Z)
OS version: Linux x64 6.14.0-28-generic
Modes:

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700K CPU @ 4.20GHz (8 x 4500)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: disabled_off trees_in_viz: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: disabled_software vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: disabled_off webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	4, 4, 3
Memory (System)	31.28GB (8.96GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id 9746525a-a815-4ecc-8c8a-eb4404b733be
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%
DESKTOP_SESSION	ubuntu
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP	Unity
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP	ubuntu
XDG_SESSION_TYPE	x11

Extensions (51)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
claude-code	Ant	1.0.89
biome	bio	3.2.0
vscode-tailwindcss	bra	0.14.26
ruff	cha	2025.24.0
vscode-eslint	dba	3.0.16
vscode-axe-linter	deq	4.10.9
docker	doc	0.15.0
gitlens	eam	17.4.0
prettier-vscode	esb	11.0.0
figma-vscode-extension	fig	0.4.1
shell-format	fox	7.2.8
copilot	Git	1.350.0
copilot-chat	Git	0.30.3
vscode-github-actions	git	0.27.2
vscode-pull-request-github	Git	0.116.1
go	gol	0.48.0
symbols	mig	0.0.24
vscode-containers	ms-	2.1.0
vscode-docker	ms-	2.0.0
playwright	ms-	1.1.15
debugpy	ms-	2025.10.0
pylint	ms-	2025.2.0
python	ms-	2025.12.0
vscode-pylance	ms-	2025.7.1
vscode-python-envs	ms-	1.2.0
remote-containers	ms-	0.422.1
remote-wsl	ms-	0.99.0
cpptools	ms-	1.26.3
makefile-tools	ms-	0.12.17
vscode-speech	ms-	0.16.0
oxc-vscode	oxc	1.12.0
prisma	Pri	6.14.0
rust-analyzer	rus	0.3.2577
vs-code-prettier-eslint	rve	6.0.0
sonarlint-vscode	Son	4.29.0
code-spell-checker	str	4.0.47
vscode-stylelint	sty	1.5.3
even-better-toml	tam	0.21.2
shellcheck	tim	0.38.3
pdf	tom	1.2.2
errorlens	use	3.26.0
vscode-lldb	vad	1.11.5
intellicode-api-usage-examples	Vis	0.2.9
vscodeintellicode	Vis	1.3.2
vscode-gradle	vsc	3.16.4
vscode-java-debug	vsc	0.58.2
vscode-java-dependency	vsc	0.24.1
vscode-java-pack	vsc	0.29.2
vscode-maven	vsc	0.44.0
vscode-webhint	web	2.1.14
pretty-ts-errors	Yoa	0.6.1

A/B Experiments

vsliv368cf:30146710
binariesv615:30325510
vscrp:30673768
nativeloc1:31344060
dwcopilot:31170013
dwoutputs:31242946
copilot_t_ci:31333650
e5gg6876:31282496
pythoneinst12:31285622
996jf627:31283433
pythonrdcb7:31342333
usemplatestapi:31297334
jjjhb125:31275178
aj953862:31281341
9d2cg352:31346308
nesew2to5:31336538
agentclaude:31335814
82j33506:31327384
nes-set-on:31340697
63221493:31336333
envsactivate1:31353494
0927b901:31350571
ji9b5146:31348712
custommodel2t:31371781
45650338:31358607
0cj2b977:31352657
justeven_python:31371804
0574c672:31362109
newchatstate:31363049
gemagent1cf:31368470
retryenabled:31370050

[hamirmahal]

Expected Result

What I typed shows up in the editor.

Actual Result

The text file does not get modified, which is really frustrating.

[hamirmahal]

Is this also something that changed recently? I thought I was able to easily edit staged files before.

[hamirmahal]

In this screen recording, I am repeatedly sequentially pressing several keys.

users_cant_easily_edit_staged_files.webm

[lszomoru]

Both sides of the diff editor when opening a staged file are read-only. This has always been the case.

[RedCMD]

@lszomoru could we at least get the ➕️ and ➡️ gui buttons working?

I guess they don't show cause it's read only
but right-click unstage selected ranges works fine

[vs-code-engineering]

Thanks for creating this issue! We figured it's covering the same as another one we already have. Thus, we closed this one as a duplicate. You can search for similar existing issues. See also our issue reporting guidelines.

Happy Coding!