nano - Character Terminal Text Editor

The nano command is a text editor for the Linux terminal. It is a user-friendly and intuitive command-line tool that allows users to create, edit, and modify text files in a terminal environment. It is designed to be simple and easy to use, making it an ideal choice for beginners.

Overview

To open a file in nano, simply type nano followed by the file name. If the file does not exist, nano will create a new file with the specified name. Once the file is open, you can begin editing the text.

Basic Editing Commands

Ctrl + G: Display the help menu
Ctrl + O: Save the file
Ctrl + X: Exit the editor
Ctrl + K: Cut the current line
Ctrl + U: Paste the cut line
Ctrl + W: Search for a word or phrase
Ctrl + C: Display the current line number and column position
Ctrl + J: Justify the current paragraph
Ctrl + T: Check the spelling of the current file

Specific Use Cases

Creating a new file: To create a new file, type nano followed by the desired file name. For example, nano newfile.txt.
Editing an existing file: To edit an existing file, type nano followed by the file name. For example, nano existingfile.txt.
Editing a file as root: To edit a file as root, use the sudo command followed by nano and the file name. For example, sudo nano /etc/fstab.
Using syntax highlighting: To enable syntax highlighting, use the -Y flag followed by the language. For example, nano -Y sh script.sh will enable syntax highlighting for a shell script.

Options

The following table lists all available options for the nano command:

Option	Description
`-B`	Make a backup of the file before saving
`-c`	Constantly display the cursor position
`-E`	Disable conversion of tabs to spaces
`-H`	Enable smart home key
`-i`	Automatically indent new lines
`-k`	Enable cut to end-of-line
`-m`	Enable mouse support
`-n`	Disable automatic line numbering
`-N`	Enable line numbering
`-O`	Use the original file’s owner and group
`-q`	Disable the use of the cursor keys for scrolling
`-r`	Read-only mode
`-s`	Smooth scrolling
`-S`	Enable soft wrapping of long lines
`-t`	Convert tabs to spaces
`-T`	Disable backup files
`-u`	Disable undo
`-v`	View mode (read-only)
`-w`	Write the file to a specific location
`-x`	Enable encryption
`-Y`	Enable syntax highlighting

Troubleshooting tips

If you’re having trouble saving a file, make sure that you have write permissions for the directory in which the file is located.
If you accidentally cut a line and want to undo it, use the Ctrl + U command to paste the cut line back into the file.
If you’re having trouble finding a specific word or phrase, use the Ctrl + W command to search for it.

Notes

nano is a great text editor for beginners, but it may not be suitable for more advanced users who require more powerful features.
nano is included in most Linux distributions by default, so it is readily available for use without any additional installation steps.

nano – Character Terminal Text Editor