I tried disabling all customizations and plugins. This is a new issue. I have the gvim package, which includes the command line vim, but the issue is the same in the vim package with the same version.
I normally open multiple files (splits) with the :Sexplore command. This is built into vim. Opening the third window now ruins the second one.
Repro with:
$ cd
$ mv .vim .vim-backup
$ mv .vimrc .vimrc-backup
$ echo Hello > foo.txt
$ echo World > bar.txt
$ vim foo.txt
Inside vim I write the following commands:
:Sexplore
This opens a second split (window) with a file picker. I use arrow keys and enter to pick bar.txt.
I now have two splits (windows) with foo.txt and bar.txt. I now open the file explorer again with:
:Sexplore
At this point the file picker opens, but also, bar.txt gets replaced with a second file picker. So now I have two file pickers and no split (window) with bar.txt. When I have picked a file I have three splits, but one of them is just the unneeded file picker instead of bar.txt.
If you followed this recipe, you can restore your vim config afterwards with:
mv .vim .vim-deleteme
mv .vim-backup .vim
mv .vimrc-backup .vimrc
Output of vim --version:
$ vim --version
VIM - Vi IMproved 9.0 (2022 Jun 28, compiled May 04 2023 08:18:27)
Included patches: 1-1506
Compiled by Arch Linux
Huge version with GTK3 GUI. Features included (+) or not (-):
+acl +file_in_path +mouse_urxvt -tag_any_white
+arabic +find_in_path +mouse_xterm +tcl/dyn
+autocmd +float +multi_byte +termguicolors
+autochdir +folding +multi_lang +terminal
-autoservername -footer -mzscheme +terminfo
+balloon_eval +fork() +netbeans_intg +termresponse
+balloon_eval_term +gettext +num64 +textobjects
+browse -hangul_input +packages +textprop
++builtin_terms +iconv +path_extra +timers
+byte_offset +insert_expand +perl/dyn +title
+channel +ipv6 +persistent_undo +toolbar
+cindent +job +popupwin +user_commands
+clientserver +jumplist +postscript +vartabs
+clipboard +keymap +printer +vertsplit
+cmdline_compl +lambda +profile +vim9script
+cmdline_hist +langmap -python +viminfo
+cmdline_info +libcall +python3/dyn +virtualedit
+comments +linebreak +quickfix +visual
+conceal +lispindent +reltime +visualextra
+cryptv +listcmds +rightleft +vreplace
+cscope +localmap +ruby/dyn +wildignore
+cursorbind +lua/dyn +scrollbind +wildmenu
+cursorshape +menu +signs +windows
+dialog_con_gui +mksession +smartindent +writebackup
+diff +modify_fname -sodium +X11
+digraphs +mouse +sound -xfontset
+dnd +mouseshape +spell +xim
-ebcdic +mouse_dec +startuptime -xpm
+emacs_tags +mouse_gpm +statusline +xsmp_interact
+eval -mouse_jsbterm -sun_workshop +xterm_clipboard
+ex_extra +mouse_netterm +syntax -xterm_save
+extra_search +mouse_sgr +tag_binary
-farsi -mouse_sysmouse -tag_old_static
system vimrc file: "/etc/vimrc"
user vimrc file: "$HOME/.vimrc"
2nd user vimrc file: "~/.vim/vimrc"
user exrc file: "$HOME/.exrc"
system gvimrc file: "/etc/gvimrc"
user gvimrc file: "$HOME/.gvimrc"
2nd user gvimrc file: "~/.vim/gvimrc"
defaults file: "$VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim"
system menu file: "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim"
fall-back for $VIM: "/usr/share/vim"
Compilation: gcc -c -I. -Iproto -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DFEAT_GUI_GTK -I/usr/include/gtk-3.0 -I/usr/include/pango-1.0 -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/lib/glib-2.0/include -I/usr/include/sysprof-4 -I/usr/include/harfbuzz -I/usr/include/freetype2 -I/usr/include/libpng16 -I/usr/include/libmount -I/usr/include/blkid -I/usr/include/fribidi -I/usr/include/cairo -I/usr/include/pixman-1 -I/usr/include/gdk-pixbuf-2.0 -I/usr/include/gio-unix-2.0 -I/usr/include/cloudproviders -I/usr/include/atk-1.0 -I/usr/include/at-spi2-atk/2.0 -I/usr/include/at-spi-2.0 -I/usr/include/dbus-1.0 -I/usr/lib/dbus-1.0/include -pthread -march=x86-64 -mtune=generic -O2 -pipe -fno-plt -fexceptions -Wformat -Werror=format-security -fstack-clash-protection -fcf-protection -g -ffile-prefix-map=/build/vim/src=/usr/src/debug/vim -flto=auto -D_REENTRANT -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1
Linking: gcc -Wl,-E -Wl,-rpath,/usr/lib/perl5/5.36/core_perl/CORE -Wl,-O1,--sort-common,--as-needed,-z,relro,-z,now -flto=auto -L/usr/local/lib -o vim -lgtk-3 -lgdk-3 -lz -lpangocairo-1.0 -lpango-1.0 -lharfbuzz -latk-1.0 -lcairo-gobject -lcairo -lgdk_pixbuf-2.0 -lgio-2.0 -lgobject-2.0 -lglib-2.0 -lSM -lICE -lXt -lX11 -lXdmcp -lSM -lICE -lm -ltinfo -lelf -lcanberra -lacl -lattr -lgpm -Wl,-E -Wl,-rpath,/usr/lib/perl5/5.36/core_perl/CORE -Wl,-O1,--sort-common,--as-needed,-z,relro,-z,now -flto=auto -fstack-protector-strong -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/lib/perl5/5.36/core_perl/CORE -lperl -lpthread -ldl -lm -lcrypt -lutil -lc -L/usr/lib -ltclstub8.6 -ldl -lz -lpthread -lm
Output of pacman -Qi gvim
$ pacman -Qi gvim
Name : gvim
Version : 9.0.1506-1
Description : Vi Improved, a highly configurable, improved version of the vi text editor (with advanced features, such
as a GUI)
Architecture : x86_64
URL : https://www.vim.org
Licenses : custom:vim
Groups : None
Provides : vim=9.0.1506-1 xxd vim-plugin-runtime
Depends On : vim-runtime=9.0.1506-1 gpm libxt gtk3 glibc libgcrypt zlib libcanberra perl
Optional Deps : python: Python language support [installed]
ruby: Ruby language support
lua: Lua language support [installed]
tcl: Tcl language support [installed]
Required By : None
Optional For : pacman
Conflicts With : vim-minimal vim
Replaces : None
Installed Size : 5.16 MiB
Packager : Morten Linderud <foxboron@archlinux.org>
Build Date : Thu 04 May 2023 10:18:27 AM CEST
Install Date : Wed 14 Jun 2023 10:27:42 AM CEST
Install Reason : Explicitly installed
Install Script : No
Validated By : Signature