Bug: FzfLua doesn't work when installed together with nvim-ghost

[thalesmello]

RTFM Checklist

• I have searched exisiting issues / discussions
• I have read the Wiki including the Advanced section
• I have read man fzf / I am well versed in shell fzf

Operating system

Mac OS

Shell

fish

Neovim version (nvim --version)

NVIM v0.12.0-dev-941+g5b1b46ea5a-Homebrew

Fzf version (fzf --version)

0.62.0 (brew)

Output of :lua print(os.getenv('FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS'))

--bind "ctrl-n:down,ctrl-p:up,ctrl-r:previous-history,ctrl-s:next-history,ctrl-q:select-all,ctrl-x:toggle-out" --height 40%

Is the problem reproducible with mini.sh?

• My issue is reproducible with mini.sh
• My issue IS NOT reproducible with mini.sh
• I have not tested with mini.sh (not relevant, requires LSP, Windows, etc)

Fzf-lua configuration

require('fzf-lua').setup({
})

Describe the bug / steps to reproduce

This is certainly a strange issue, and I'm not sure whether it's an issue with fzf-lua or nvim-ghost. I decided to create this issue here because fzf-lua is the one not working, and the problem kept on happen even after I tried it with a different ghost-text.nvim implementation.

Please reference the minimal.lua to reproduce the issue.

When I run :FzfLua files, the fzf window shows up, but it's not possible to list any file.

However, if I run :FzfLua files file_icons=false file names to show up, but not the preview. This makes me suspect there's an issue related to encoding?

minimal.lua

-- Bootstrap lazy.nvim
local lazypath = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/lazy/lazy.nvim"
if not (vim.uv or vim.loop).fs_stat(lazypath) then
  local lazyrepo = "https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim.git"
  local out = vim.fn.system({ "git", "clone", "--filter=blob:none", "--branch=stable", lazyrepo, lazypath })
  if vim.v.shell_error ~= 0 then
    vim.api.nvim_echo({
      { "Failed to clone lazy.nvim:\n", "ErrorMsg" },
      { out, "WarningMsg" },
      { "\nPress any key to exit..." },
    }, true, {})
    vim.fn.getchar()
    os.exit(1)
  end
end
vim.opt.rtp:prepend(lazypath)

-- Make sure to setup `mapleader` and `maplocalleader` before
-- loading lazy.nvim so that mappings are correct.
-- This is also a good place to setup other settings (vim.opt)
vim.g.mapleader = " "
vim.g.maplocalleader = "\\"

-- Setup lazy.nvim
require("lazy").setup({
  spec = {
    {
      "ibhagwan/fzf-lua",
      dependencies = { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons" },
    },
    { 'subnut/nvim-ghost.nvim' }
  },
  -- Configure any other settings here. See the documentation for more details.
  -- colorscheme that will be used when installing plugins.
  install = { colorscheme = { "habamax" } },
  -- automatically check for plugin updates
  checker = { enabled = true },
})

[ibhagwan]

However, if I run :FzfLua files file_icons=false file names to show up, but not the preview. This makes me suspect there's an issue related to encoding?

I suspect the ghost-text implementations do something to the RPC server which fzf-lua relies on to communicate between the main instance and the neovim headless wrappers.

Can you run :FzfLua files previewer=false multiprocess=false?

What does := vim.g.fzf_lua_server output? Does the names pipe file exist on the filesystem?

[thalesmello]

Can you run :FzfLua files previewer=false multiprocess=false?

Same result as when I run FzfLua file. It doesn't list any filename.

What does := vim.g.fzf_lua_server output? Does the names pipe file exist on the filesystem?
Yes.

"/var/folders/3k/bnyz4mg96csgclkw5j0l8lnh0000gn/T/nvim.thalesmello/FXIGAr/fzf-lua.1755296012.71188.1"

Extra information

Interesting errors in tail ~/.local/state/nvim/log:

WRN 2025-08-15T15:13:32.388 c/nvim.71188.0 server_start:191: Failed to start server: address already in use: /var/folders/3k/bnyz4mg96csgclkw5j0l8lnh0000gn/T/nvim.thalesmello/FXIGAr/nvim.71188.0
WRN 2025-08-15T15:13:36.474 c/nvim.71188.0 server_start:191: Failed to start server: address already in use: /var/folders/3k/bnyz4mg96csgclkw5j0l8lnh0000gn/T/nvim.thalesmello/FXIGAr/nvim.71188.0

This seems to be the contents of vim.v.servername:

"/var/folders/3k/bnyz4mg96csgclkw5j0l8lnh0000gn/T/nvim.thalesmello/FXIGAr/nvim.71188.0"

[ibhagwan]

Interesting errors in tail ~/.local/state/nvim/log:

This is definitely a good lead, if the server can’t start fzf-lua can’t operate.

[ibhagwan]

Take a look at #716 maybe a good lead there maybe xdg runtime dir?

[thalesmello]

There's no XDG_RUNTIME_DIR envvar set in my config. If you think that's relevant?

[ibhagwan]

There's no XDG_RUNTIME_DIR envvar set in my config. If you think that's relevant?

You can try setting it up and see if this solves the issue, but if this was the issue why would it work without nvim-ghost?

[ibhagwan]

71fe5c1

@thalesmello, should work now, the fix was simpler than anticipated, apparently nvim-ghost was setting NVIM_LISTEN_ADDRESS which was causing the neovim headless wrappers to fail.