Stata 19 MP with Zed Editor — Windows to Linux Guide

Overview

This guide wires the Zed editor to Stata 19 MP so Ctrl+Enter runs the whole do-file and Shift+Enter runs the current selection in the Stata GUI — the same workflow as the VS Code setup, but with no extension required. Zed passes selected text to tasks as a real environment variable, which sidesteps the shell-interpolation problems that make the VS Code approach heavier.

What This Guide Does NOT Cover

Installation of Stata, desktop integration, file icons, or the Wayland resize fix. Those are all in the VS Code complete guide — Parts 1 through 4 apply identically to Zed.

Prerequisites

Before starting this guide, you must have:

Requirement	How to verify
Stata 19 MP installed	`ls /usr/local/stata19/xstata-mp`
Xorg session (not Wayland)	`echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE` → must print `x11`
`wmctrl`, `xdotool`, `xclip` installed	`which wmctrl xdotool xclip`
Zed editor installed	`zed --version`
`stata_run_do.sh` from VS Code guide	`which stata_run_do.sh`
`~/.local/bin` on PATH	`echo $PATH` should include `$HOME/.local/bin` (run `echo $HOME` to confirm your home path)

If any of these are missing, complete Parts 1–5 of the VS Code complete guide first. The whole-file runner script (stata_run_do.sh) is shared between both editors.

Architecture: How It Works

VS Code approach (for comparison)

VS Code cannot safely pass selected text to a shell script because ${selectedText} is shell-interpolated. The workaround requires:

The multi-command extension to chain two VS Code actions
Action 1: Copy selection to clipboard internally
Action 2: Run a task that reads the clipboard via xclip

Zed approach (simpler)

Zed sets $ZED_SELECTED_TEXT as a real environment variable before running the task. The script reads this variable — bash never shell-interprets its contents. This means:

No extension required — Zed handles it natively
No clipboard manipulation for selection — the text goes directly from Zed to the script via the environment
Backticks (`c(os)'), dollar signs ($main), block comments (/* ... */) — all survive intact

The whole-file workflow is identical to VS Code: the script copies do "/path/to/file.do" to the clipboard, focuses Stata, pastes, and presses Enter.

Part 1 — Create the Zed-Specific Runner Scripts

Zed sets $ZED_FILE and $ZED_SELECTED_TEXT as environment variables when running tasks. Both scripts read these directly — no argument passing needed. This avoids all quoting issues with file paths that contain spaces.

Whole-file runner (Zed-specific wrapper)

The shared stata_run_do.sh (used by VS Code) expects the path as a command-line argument. Zed’s task system doesn’t pass arguments reliably for paths with spaces. This wrapper reads $ZED_FILE from the environment instead:

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
nano ~/.local/bin/stata_run_do_zed.sh

Paste:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

# Wrapper script for Zed - handles $ZED_FILE directly
STATA_BIN="/usr/local/stata19/xstata-mp"
STATA_WMCLASS="Xstata-mp"
EDITOR_WMCLASS="zed"

# Zed sets $ZED_FILE as environment variable
DOFILE="${ZED_FILE:-}"
if [[ -z "$DOFILE" ]]; then
  echo "Error: ZED_FILE is not set" >&2
  exit 2
fi

# Make path absolute and resolve symlinks
DOFILE="$(readlink -f "$DOFILE")"

# Verify file exists
if [[ ! -f "$DOFILE" ]]; then
  echo "Error: File not found: $DOFILE" >&2
  exit 1
fi

# Put the Stata do command on clipboard — quoted to preserve spaces
printf 'do "%s"\n' "$DOFILE" | xclip -selection clipboard

# Launch Stata GUI if not already running
if ! wmctrl -x -l | grep -qi "${STATA_WMCLASS}"; then
  "${STATA_BIN}" >/dev/null 2>&1 &
  for i in {1..50}; do
    wmctrl -x -l | grep -qi "${STATA_WMCLASS}" && break
    sleep 0.2
  done
  sleep 4
fi

# Focus Stata, paste and run
wmctrl -xa "${STATA_WMCLASS}"
sleep 0.3
xdotool key --clearmodifiers ctrl+v Return

# Return focus to editor (uncomment below to enable)
# sleep 0.5
# wmctrl -xa "${EDITOR_WMCLASS}"

Make executable:

chmod +x ~/.local/bin/stata_run_do_zed.sh

Selection runner (Zed-specific)

This script reads from $ZED_SELECTED_TEXT instead of the clipboard:

nano ~/.local/bin/stata_run_selection_zed.sh

Paste:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

STATA_BIN="/usr/local/stata19/xstata-mp"
STATA_WMCLASS="Xstata-mp"
EDITOR_WMCLASS="zed"

TMPDO="/tmp/stata_selection_run.do"

if [[ -z "${ZED_SELECTED_TEXT:-}" ]]; then
  echo "No text selected in Zed — nothing to run." >&2
  exit 1
fi

printf '%s\n' "$ZED_SELECTED_TEXT" > "$TMPDO"

if [[ ! -s "$TMPDO" ]]; then
  echo "Temp do-file is empty after write — aborting." >&2
  exit 1
fi

if ! wmctrl -x -l | grep -qi "${STATA_WMCLASS}"; then
  "${STATA_BIN}" >/dev/null 2>&1 &
  for i in {1..50}; do
    wmctrl -x -l | grep -qi "${STATA_WMCLASS}" && break
    sleep 0.2
  done
  sleep 4
fi

printf 'do "%s"\n' "$TMPDO" | xclip -selection clipboard

wmctrl -xa "${STATA_WMCLASS}"
sleep 0.3
xdotool key --clearmodifiers ctrl+v Return

# sleep 0.5
# wmctrl -xa "${EDITOR_WMCLASS}"

Make executable:

chmod +x ~/.local/bin/stata_run_selection_zed.sh

Verify both scripts:

which stata_run_do_zed.sh
# Should print: /home/mohsin/.local/bin/stata_run_do_zed.sh

which stata_run_selection_zed.sh
# Should print: /home/mohsin/.local/bin/stata_run_selection_zed.sh

Why `printf '%s\n' "$ZED_SELECTED_TEXT"` is safe

When bash expands "$ZED_SELECTED_TEXT", it performs a single-pass parameter expansion. The resulting string is treated as literal text — bash does not re-interpret backticks, dollar signs, or any other special characters inside the value. Combined with printf '%s' (which does not process escape sequences in its arguments), this guarantees that every byte of your Stata code reaches the temp file exactly as written.

Part 2 — Create Global Zed Tasks

Zed tasks can be project-local (.zed/tasks.json) or global (~/.config/zed/tasks.json). Global is better here — you want Stata integration in every project.

nano ~/.config/zed/tasks.json

Paste:

[
  {
    "label": "Run do-file in Stata GUI",
    "command": "/home/mohsin/.local/bin/stata_run_do_zed.sh",
    "reveal": "never",
    "hide": "never",
    "use_new_terminal": false,
    "allow_concurrent_runs": false,
    "save": "current",
    "show_summary": false,
    "show_command": false
  },
  {
    "label": "Run selection in Stata GUI",
    "command": "/home/mohsin/.local/bin/stata_run_selection_zed.sh",
    "reveal": "never",
    "hide": "never",
    "use_new_terminal": false,
    "allow_concurrent_runs": false,
    "save": "none",
    "show_summary": false,
    "show_command": false
  }
]

Why a Zed-specific wrapper script? Zed sets $ZED_FILE as an environment variable when running tasks. The wrapper script (stata_run_do_zed.sh) reads this variable directly — no argument passing needed. This avoids all quoting issues with file paths that contain spaces (e.g., /media/mohsin/bigd/Dropbox/Env CC/Block PEDL-MRG 2024/...). The original stata_run_do.sh (shared with VS Code) expects the path as a command-line argument, which Zed’s task system doesn’t handle reliably for paths with spaces.

What each setting does

Setting	Value	Purpose
`command`	Full script path	Zed-specific wrappers read `$ZED_FILE` and `$ZED_SELECTED_TEXT` directly from the environment — no argument passing needed
`reveal`	`"never"`	Do not show Zed’s terminal panel (output goes to Stata GUI)
`save`	`"current"` / `"none"`	Auto-save current file before whole-file run; skip for selection
`show_summary`	`false`	Suppress task summary line in terminal output
`show_command`	`false`	Suppress command echo in terminal output
`allow_concurrent_runs`	`false`	Wait for previous Stata run to finish before starting another

Replace /home/mohsin with your actual home directory path. Run echo $HOME in a terminal to get the correct value. The full path is used instead of ~ because Zed tasks do not always expand the tilde reliably.

Note: The “Run selection in Stata GUI” task uses $ZED_SELECTED_TEXT implicitly — Zed sets it as an environment variable that the script reads. It does not appear in args because passing it as an argument would expose it to shell interpretation.

Part 3 — Set Keybindings

nano ~/.config/zed/keymap.json

Paste:

[
  {
    "context": "Editor && extension == do",
    "bindings": {
      "ctrl-enter": ["task::Spawn", { "task_name": "Run do-file in Stata GUI" }],
      "shift-enter": ["task::Spawn", { "task_name": "Run selection in Stata GUI" }]
    }
  }
]

What the context does

"context": "Editor && extension == do" means these keybindings are only active when editing a .do file. In all other file types — .tex, .md, .py — Ctrl+Enter and Shift+Enter retain their default Zed behaviour. This scoping is more precise than the VS Code setup, where the keybindings were global.

Daily Usage

Step	Action
1	Log in → gear icon → your X11/Xorg session (Cinnamon on Xorg on Mint, Zorin on Xorg on Zorin — Mint defaults to X11)
2	Open Stata GUI once at the start of your session
3	Open your `.do` file in Zed
4	Ctrl+Enter — runs the entire file in Stata GUI
5	Select any lines → Shift+Enter — runs selection in Stata GUI

Tip: For a single line, use Ctrl+L to select the entire line first, then Shift+Enter.

Tip: Leave Stata open for your entire session. The first run after boot may take ~4 seconds while Stata initializes. Every subsequent run is near-instant.

How It Works End to End

Ctrl+Enter (Run Whole File)

Ctrl+Enter pressed in .do file
  ─→ Zed auto-saves the file (save: "current")
  └─→ Zed spawns task: "Run do-file in Stata GUI"
        └─→ stata_run_do_zed.sh runs
              ├─→ Reads $ZED_FILE from environment (no argument passing)
              ├─→ Puts  do "/path/to/file.do"  on clipboard
              ├─→ Launches Stata if not running (waits ~4s)
              ├─→ Focuses Stata window via wmctrl
              ├─→ Pastes + Enter via xdotool
              └─→ Stata executes the do-file

Shift+Enter (Run Selection)

Shift+Enter pressed with text selected in .do file
  └─→ Zed spawns task: "Run selection in Stata GUI"
        └─→ stata_run_selection_zed.sh runs
              ├─→ Reads $ZED_SELECTED_TEXT (environment variable)
              │   No clipboard involved — no shell interpretation
              ├─→ Writes raw bytes to /tmp/stata_selection_run.do
              │     Comments      Supported
              │     Globals ($)   Supported
              │     Backticks     Supported
              │     Block comments Supported
              │     Macros        Supported
              ├─→ Puts  do "/tmp/stata_selection_run.do"  on clipboard
              ├─→ Launches Stata if not running
              ├─→ Focuses Stata window
              ├─→ Pastes + Enter
              └─→ Stata runs the temp do-file

Running from Terminal or AI Agent

The same stata_run_do.sh script works in all contexts:

# From terminal
stata_run_do.sh /media/mohsin/mmh/Dropbox/Projects/rwh_wp/5_do/Clean/00_run.do

# From AI agent (always use full path — no ~)
/home/mohsin/.local/bin/stata_run_do.sh /media/mohsin/mmh/Dropbox/Projects/rwh_wp/5_do/Clean/00_run.do

Keybinding Reference

Keybinding	Context	Action
Ctrl+Enter	`.do` files only	Run the entire file in Stata GUI
Shift+Enter	`.do` files only	Run the selected text in Stata GUI
Ctrl+L	Any editor	Select current line (use before Shift+Enter for a single line)
Ctrl+Shift+P	Anywhere	Command palette (search “task” to see/run tasks manually)

File Locations Reference

File	Path
Stata binary	`/usr/local/stata19/xstata-mp`
Whole-file runner (VS Code)	`~/.local/bin/stata_run_do.sh`
Whole-file runner (Zed)	`~/.local/bin/stata_run_do_zed.sh`
Selection runner (VS Code)	`~/.local/bin/stata_run_selection.sh`
Selection runner (Zed)	`~/.local/bin/stata_run_selection_zed.sh`
Selection temp do-file	`/tmp/stata_selection_run.do`
Zed global tasks	`~/.config/zed/tasks.json`
Zed keybindings	`~/.config/zed/keymap.json`
Zed settings	`~/.config/zed/settings.json`

Differences from VS Code Guide

Aspect	VS Code	Zed
Extension required	Yes — `ryuta46.multi-command`	No — native task variables
How selection reaches the script	Clipboard (copy action → xclip reads)	Environment variable (`$ZED_SELECTED_TEXT`)
Keybinding scope	Global (all file types)	Scoped to `.do` files via `extension == do`
Config files	`.vscode/tasks.json` + `keybindings.json` + `settings.json`	`tasks.json` + `keymap.json` (both in `~/.config/zed/`)
Task output visibility	Terminal panel (can configure `reveal`)	Hidden by default (`"reveal": "never"`)
Auto-save before run	Not built in	Built in (`"save": "current"`)
Selection runner script	`stata_run_selection.sh` (reads clipboard)	`stata_run_selection_zed.sh` (reads env var)
Whole-file runner script	`stata_run_do.sh` (expects path as `$1` argument)	`stata_run_do_zed.sh` (reads `$ZED_FILE` from environment — handles spaces in paths)

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
Stata says “file not found” with truncated path	Using `stata_run_do.sh` (VS Code script) instead of `stata_run_do_zed.sh`	Use the Zed-specific wrapper: `~/.local/bin/stata_run_do_zed.sh` reads `$ZED_FILE` from environment
Ctrl+Enter does nothing	Keybinding not loaded	Restart Zed: `Ctrl+Shift+P` → “zed: reload”
Ctrl+Enter works in `.py` but not `.do`	Context mismatch	Check `keymap.json` has `extension == do`
Shift+Enter says “No text selected”	Nothing highlighted	Select text first (Ctrl+L for a line)
Shift+Enter does nothing at all	Task not found	Check `tasks.json` label matches exactly: `"Run selection in Stata GUI"`
Stata flashes open then closes	Not enough init time	Increase `sleep 4` to `sleep 6` in both scripts
Terminal panel keeps appearing	`reveal` setting wrong	Set `"reveal": "never"` in `tasks.json`
Script not found	Not on PATH	Verify: `which stata_run_selection_zed.sh`
wmctrl/xdotool fail silently	Wayland session	Log out → gear → your X11/Xorg session (Cinnamon on Xorg on Mint, Zorin on Xorg on Zorin — Mint defaults to X11)
Focus does not return to Zed	Return lines commented	Uncomment last 2 lines in the script
Old task keeps rerunning	Zed caches last task for `task::Rerun`	Use `task::Spawn` (not Rerun) via the keybinding

FAQ

Q: Can I use both VS Code and Zed with Stata? A: Yes. They share the same underlying Stata automation pattern but use different wrapper scripts:

VS Code uses stata_run_do.sh (path as argument) and stata_run_selection.sh (reads clipboard)
Zed uses stata_run_do_zed.sh (reads $ZED_FILE from environment) and stata_run_selection_zed.sh (reads $ZED_SELECTED_TEXT)

The scripts do not interfere with each other.

Q: Why separate scripts instead of reusing the VS Code ones? A: Two reasons:

Whole-file: VS Code’s stata_run_do.sh expects the path as a command-line argument ($1). Zed’s task system doesn’t pass arguments reliably for paths with spaces. The Zed wrapper reads $ZED_FILE from the environment instead.
Selection: VS Code’s script reads from the X11 clipboard (because VS Code copies there first). The Zed script reads from the $ZED_SELECTED_TEXT environment variable. Different input source, same output: a temp .do file sent to Stata.

Q: What if my selection is very large? A: Environment variables have a size limit (typically 128 KB to 2 MB on Linux). Normal Stata do-file selections will never hit this. If you need to run a 500-line block, use Ctrl+Enter to run the whole file instead.

Q: Will Shift+Enter work if nothing is selected? A: No. The script exits with an error message. Zed may also filter the task from its task picker when no text is selected. Always select text first.

Q: Can I make these keybindings work in ALL file types, not just .do? A: Yes. Remove the context restriction:

[
  {
    "bindings": {
      "ctrl-enter": ["task::Spawn", { "task_name": "Run do-file in Stata GUI" }],
      "shift-enter": ["task::Spawn", { "task_name": "Run selection in Stata GUI" }]
    }
  }
]

But this will override Shift+Enter in every file type, which is usually not desirable.

Q: After running, should focus stay on Stata or return to Zed? A: Personal preference. By default, focus stays on Stata so you can immediately read output. To auto-return to Zed, uncomment these two lines at the bottom of both scripts:

# sleep 0.5
# wmctrl -xa "${EDITOR_WMCLASS}"

In the Zed-specific script, EDITOR_WMCLASS is already set to "zed".

Complete Removal

To remove only the Zed-specific Stata integration (without affecting VS Code or Stata itself):

# Remove Zed-specific scripts
rm -f ~/.local/bin/stata_run_do_zed.sh
rm -f ~/.local/bin/stata_run_selection_zed.sh

# Remove Zed task and keybinding configs
rm -f ~/.config/zed/tasks.json
rm -f ~/.config/zed/keymap.json

To also remove the shared VS Code scripts (affects VS Code too):

rm -f ~/.local/bin/stata_run_do.sh
rm -f ~/.local/bin/stata_run_selection.sh

Quick Verification Checklist

# 1. Confirm Xorg session
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
# Expected: x11

# 2. Confirm Stata binary exists
ls /usr/local/stata19/xstata-mp

# 3. Confirm both Zed scripts are on PATH
which stata_run_do_zed.sh
# Expected: /home/YOUR_USERNAME/.local/bin/stata_run_do_zed.sh
which stata_run_selection_zed.sh
# Expected: /home/YOUR_USERNAME/.local/bin/stata_run_selection_zed.sh

# 4. Confirm Zed tasks exist
cat ~/.config/zed/tasks.json
# Expected: two task definitions

# 5. Confirm Zed keybindings exist
cat ~/.config/zed/keymap.json
# Expected: ctrl-enter and shift-enter bindings

# 6. Open a .do file in Zed, press Ctrl+Enter
# Expected: Stata opens and runs the file

# 7. Select lines including block comments, press Shift+Enter
# Expected: runs correctly in Stata with no r(199) errors

All seven passing means everything is correctly configured.

Companion guide to stata19-complete-guide.md and the Antigravity IDE Stata integration guide Tested on Linux Mint 22.3 Cinnamon (also Zorin OS 18.1 Pro) · ThinkPad L14 Gen 2 (i5-1135G7, 16GB, Iris Xe) · Zed 1.3.6 · May 2026

Overview

What This Guide Does NOT Cover

Prerequisites

Architecture: How It Works

VS Code approach (for comparison)

Zed approach (simpler)

Part 1 — Create the Zed-Specific Runner Scripts

Whole-file runner (Zed-specific wrapper)

Selection runner (Zed-specific)

Why printf '%s\n' "$ZED_SELECTED_TEXT" is safe

Part 2 — Create Global Zed Tasks

What each setting does

Part 3 — Set Keybindings

What the context does

Daily Usage

How It Works End to End

Ctrl+Enter (Run Whole File)

Shift+Enter (Run Selection)

Running from Terminal or AI Agent

Keybinding Reference

File Locations Reference

Differences from VS Code Guide

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Complete Removal

Quick Verification Checklist

Discussion

Why `printf '%s\n' "$ZED_SELECTED_TEXT"` is safe