Nano
Updated on
Last site update: 8 May 2024
Nano is a CLI editor like vim that comes with bash. It’s with both Linux and the git-bash program.
Nano is supposedly easier to learn than vim.
You can open or create a file using nano path/to/file and start editing.
The menu use ^G for instance where the ^ just means press Ctrl key at the same time.
Using ^x is to exit where you are. You might be prompted to save first. You may need to press it twice to say exit from help then exit the program.
To paste from outside of Nano the regular ^v works. You might need to press ^J after to sort out the line.
Nano help
Also see the official site: nano-editor.org
1Usage: nano [OPTIONS] [[+LINE[,COLUMN]] FILE]...
2
3To place the cursor on a specific line of a file, put the line number with
4a '+' before the filename. The column number can be added after a comma.
5When a filename is '-', nano reads data from standard input.
6
7 Option Long option Meaning
8 -A --smarthome Enable smart home key
9 -B --backup Save backups of existing files
10 -C <dir> --backupdir=<dir> Directory for saving unique backup files
11 -D --boldtext Use bold instead of reverse video text
12 -E --tabstospaces Convert typed tabs to spaces
13 -F --multibuffer Read a file into a new buffer by default
14 -G --locking Use (vim-style) lock files
15 -H --historylog Save & reload old search/replace strings
16 -I --ignorercfiles Don't look at nanorc files
17 -J <number> --guidestripe=<number> Show a guiding bar at this column
18 -K --rawsequences Fix numeric keypad key confusion problem
19 -L --nonewlines Don't add an automatic newline
20 -M --trimblanks Trim tail spaces when hard-wrapping
21 -N --noconvert Don't convert files from DOS/Mac format
22 -O --bookstyle Leading whitespace means new paragraph
23 -P --positionlog Save & restore position of the cursor
24 -Q <regex> --quotestr=<regex> Regular expression to match quoting
25 -R --restricted Restrict access to the filesystem
26 -S --softwrap Display overlong lines on multiple rows
27 -T <number> --tabsize=<number> Make a tab this number of columns wide
28 -U --quickblank Wipe status bar upon next keystroke
29 -V --version Print version information and exit
30 -W --wordbounds Detect word boundaries more accurately
31 -X <string> --wordchars=<string> Which other characters are word parts
32 -Y <name> --syntax=<name> Syntax definition to use for coloring
33 -Z --zap Let Bsp and Del erase a marked region
34 -a --atblanks When soft-wrapping, do it at whitespace
35 -b --breaklonglines Automatically hard-wrap overlong lines
36 -c --constantshow Constantly show cursor position
37 -d --rebinddelete Fix Backspace/Delete confusion problem
38 -e --emptyline Keep the line below the title bar empty
39 -f <file> --rcfile=<file> Use only this file for configuring nano
40 -g --showcursor Show cursor in file browser & help text
41 -h --help Show this help text and exit
42 -i --autoindent Automatically indent new lines
43 -j --jumpyscrolling Scroll per half-screen, not per line
44 -k --cutfromcursor Cut from cursor to end of line
45 -l --linenumbers Show line numbers in front of the text
46 -m --mouse Enable the use of the mouse
47 -n --noread Do not read the file (only write it)
48 -o <dir> --operatingdir=<dir> Set operating directory
49 -p --preserve Preserve XON (^Q) and XOFF (^S) keys
50 -q --indicator Show a position+portion indicator
51 -r <number> --fill=<number> Set width for hard-wrap and justify
52 -s <program> --speller=<program> Use this alternative spell checker
53 -t --saveonexit Save changes on exit, don't prompt
54 -u --unix Save a file by default in Unix format
55 -v --view View mode (read-only)
56 -w --nowrap Don't hard-wrap long lines [default]
57 -x --nohelp Don't show the two help lines
58 -y --afterends Make Ctrl+Right stop at word ends
59 -% --stateflags Show some states on the title bar
60 -_ --minibar Show a feedback bar at the bottom
61 -0 --zero Hide all bars, use whole terminal
62 -! --magic Also try magic to determine syntax