1. Nano Basics
This guide was written to cover basic operations in nano, and is meant to be very concise. For more information about nano check out:
Opening and creating files is simple in nano, simply type:
Code ListingĀ 1.1: Creating or opening a file |
# nano filename
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Nano is a modeless editor so you can start typing immediately to insert text. If you are editing a configuration file like /etc/fstab use the -w switch, for example:
Code ListingĀ 1.2: Disable the word wrapping |
# nano -w /etc/fstab
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Warning: It is very, very important that you use the -w switch when opening a config file. Failure to do so may keep your system from booting or cause other bad things. |
If you want to save the changes you’ve made, press Ctrl+O. To exit nano, type Ctrl+X. If you ask nano to exit from a modified file, it will ask you if you want to save it. Just press N in case you don’t, or Y in case you do. It will then ask you for a filename. Just type it in and press Enter.
If you accidentally confirmed that you want to save the file but you actually don’t, you can always cancel by pressing Ctrl+C when you’re prompted for a filename.
To cut a single line, you use Ctrl+K (hold down Ctrl and then press K). The line disappears. To paste it, you simply move the cursor to where you want to paste it and punch Ctrl+U. The line reappears. To move multiple lines, simply cut them with several Ctrl+Ks in a row, then paste them with a single Ctrl+U. The whole paragraph appears wherever you want it.
If you need a little more fine-grained control, then you have to mark the text. Move the cursor to the beginning of the text you want to cut. Hit Ctrl+6 (or Alt+A). Now move your cursor to the end of the text you want to cut: the marked text gets highlighted. If you need to cancel your text marking, simply hit Ctrl+6 again. Press Ctrl+K to cut the marked text. Use Ctrl+U to paste it.
Searching for a string is easy as long as you think “WhereIs” instead of “Search”. Simply hit Ctrl+W, type in your search string, and press Enter. To search for the same string again, hit Alt+W.
Note: In nano’s help texts the Ctrl-key is represented by a caret (^), so Ctrl+W is shown as ^W, and so on. The Alt-key is represented by an M (from “Meta”), so Alt+W is shown as M-W. |
If you’re interested in tweaking nano, be sure to read /etc/nanorc.
That is all! Thanks to kiyose and quazion from #gentoo. Again, for more information about nano check out: