Helix: After searching we end up in vim `NORMAL` mode (Regression)

[dv01sw]

Summary

Since two or three days there is a regression in the Helix mode.
Depending on how you enter a search you will either end up in Helix or in Vim mode.
After searching in a file, either through Cmd+F, after pressing Enter to enter the matches, Zed ends up in NORMAL mode and not in HELIX NORMAL mode.

After searching in a file, either through /, after pressing Enter to cycle through matches, Zed ends up in HELIX NORMAL mode.

Reproduce:

• Activate Helix mode
• Search in file using CMD+F (Search in file using / works)
• Press enter
• Look in bottom right window edge: Zed will be in NORMAL mode (vim)

Zed Version and System Specs

Zed: v0.200.5 (Zed)
OS: macOS 15.6.0
Memory: 32 GiB
Architecture: aarch64

[fantacell]

It works for me (I get HELIX_NORMAL). Did you set any fancy keymaps? Because Enter doesn't by default cycle through matches, so maybe that is the problem?

[dv01sw]

Enter to cycle through matches was badly put. I have to press enter once (equivalent in Helix) to leave the search term input mode and get to the mode where i can use n to cycle.

But you are right the actual bug only happens when you open the search panel with CMD+F.
If you open it with / its not triggered. Which makes it super confusing, because visually its 100% same.
Ill update the repro case

[dv01sw]

Screen.Recording.2025-08-25.at.16.46.33.mov

Look at bottom right where the mode suddenly changes
I press two key combinations:
Cmd F
followed by Enter

[llamaha]

I've submitted a fix in #36917. Based on the timeline suggested above I think it's likely that this was a regression from 36d51fe.

I'm only able to test the changes on Linux as I don't have a Mac. On Linux I was using the command palette -> Buffer Search: deploy, which I believe follows the same logic flow as CMD+F on Mac (ctrl + f acts as page down within Helix mode for me).

[dv01sw]

Amazing @llamaha
It working in the prerelease fine now. Thanks <3