nano/doc/nano.1

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.TH NANO 1 "version 2.8.6" "July 2017"
.\" Please adjust this date whenever revising the manpage.

.SH NAME
nano \- Nano's ANOther editor, an enhanced free Pico clone

.SH SYNOPSIS
.B nano
.RI [ options "] [[+" line [, column "]]\ " file "]..."

.SH DESCRIPTION
\fBnano\fP is a small and friendly editor.  It copies the look and feel
of Pico, but is free software, and implements several features that Pico
lacks, such as: opening multiple files, scrolling per line, undo/redo,
syntax coloring, line numbering, and soft-wrapping overlong lines.

When giving a filename on the command line, the cursor can be put on a
specific line by adding the line number with a plus sign (\fB+\fR) before
the filename, and even in a specific column by adding it with a comma.

As a special case: if instead of a filename a dash (\fB\-\fR) is given,
\fBnano\fR will read data from standard input.

.SH EDITING
Entering text and moving around in a file is straightforward: typing the
letters and using the normal cursor movement keys.  Commands are entered
by using the Control (^) and the Alt or Meta (M\-) keys.
Typing \fB^K\fR deletes the current line and puts it in the cutbuffer.
Consecutive \fB^K\fRs will put all deleted lines together in the cutbuffer.
Any cursor movement or executing any other command will cause the next
\fB^K\fR to overwrite the cutbuffer.  A \fB^U\fR will paste the current
contents of the cutbuffer at the current cursor position.
.PP
When a more precise piece of text needs to be cut or copied, one can mark
its start with \fB^6\fR, move the cursor to its end (the marked text will be
highlighted), and then use \fB^K\fR to cut it, or \fBM\-6\fR to copy it to the
cutbuffer.  One can also save the marked text to a file with \fB^O\fR, or
spell check it with \fB^T\fR.
.PP
Since nano-2.7.0, text can also be selected by holding Shift and moving the
cursor with the arrow keys.  Holding down the Alt key too will increase the
stride.
.PP
The two lines at the bottom of the screen show some important commands;
the built-in help (\fB^G\fR) lists all the available ones.
The default key bindings can be changed via the .nanorc file -- see
.BR nanorc (5).

.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.BR \-A ", " \-\-smarthome
Make the Home key smarter.  When Home is pressed anywhere but at the
very beginning of non-whitespace characters on a line, the cursor will
jump to that beginning (either forwards or backwards).  If the cursor is
already at that position, it will jump to the true beginning of the
line.
.TP
.BR \-B ", " \-\-backup
When saving a file, back up the previous version of it, using the current
filename suffixed with a tilde (\fB~\fP).
.TP
.BR \-C\ \fIdirectory\fR ", " \-\-backupdir= \fIdirectory
Make and keep not just one backup file, but make and keep a uniquely
numbered one every time a file is saved -- when backups are enabled (\fB\-B\fR).
The uniquely numbered files are stored in the specified \fIdirectory\fR.
.TP
.BR \-D ", " \-\-boldtext
Use bold text instead of reverse video text.
.TP
.BR \-E ", " \-\-tabstospaces
Convert typed tabs to spaces.
.TP
.BR \-F ", " \-\-multibuffer
Read a file into a new buffer by default.
.TP
.BR \-G ", " \-\-locking
Use vim-style file locking when editing files.
.TP
.BR \-H ", " \-\-historylog
Log search and replace strings to \fI~/.nano/search_history\fP, so they can be
retrieved in later sessions.
.TP
.BR \-I ", " \-\-ignorercfiles
Don't look at the system's \fBnanorc\fP nor at \fB~/.nanorc\fP.
.TP
.BR \-K ", " \-\-rebindkeypad
Interpret the numeric keypad keys so that they all work properly.  You
should only need to use this option if they don't, as mouse support
won't work properly with this option enabled.
.TP
.BR \-L ", " \-\-nonewlines
Don't add newlines to the ends of files.
.TP
.BR \-N ", " \-\-noconvert
Disable automatic conversion of files from DOS/Mac format.
.TP
.BR \-O ", " \-\-morespace
Use the blank line below the title bar as extra editing space.
.TP
.BR \-P ", " \-\-positionlog
For the 200 most recent files, log the last position of the cursor,
and place it at that position again upon reopening such a file.
(The old form of this option, \fB\-\-poslog\fR, is deprecated.)
.TP
.BR "\-Q ""\fIcharacters\fB""" ", " "\-\-quotestr=""" \fIcharacters\fR """
Set the quoting string for justifying.  The default is
\fB"^([\ \\t]*[#:>\\|}])+"\fP if extended regular expression support is
available, or \fB">\ "\fP otherwise.  Note that \fB\\t\fP stands for a
Tab.
.TP
.BR \-R ", " \-\-restricted
Restricted mode: don't read or write to any file not specified on the
command line; don't read any \fInanorc\fP files nor history files;
don't allow suspending nor spell checking;
don't allow a file to be appended to, prepended to, or saved under a
different name if it already has one; and don't use backup files.
This restricted mode is also accessible by invoking \fBnano\fP
with any name beginning with 'r' (e.g. "rnano").
.TP
.BR \-S ", " \-\-smooth
Use smooth scrolling: text will scroll line-by-line, instead of the
usual chunk-by-chunk behavior.
.TP
.BR \-T\ \fInumber\fR ", " \-\-tabsize= \fInumber
Set the size (width) of a tab to \fInumber\fP columns.  The value of
\fInumber\fP must be greater than 0.  The default value is 8.
.TP
.BR \-U ", " \-\-quickblank
Do quick status-bar blanking: status-bar messages will disappear after 1
keystroke instead of 25.  Note that option \fB\-c\fR (\fB\-\-constantshow\fR)
overrides this.
.TP
.BR \-V ", " \-\-version
Show the current version number and exit.
.TP
.BR \-W ", " \-\-wordbounds
Detect word boundaries differently by treating punctuation
characters as part of a word.
.TP
.BR "\-X ""\fIcharacters\fB""" ", " "\-\-wordchars=""" \fIcharacters """
Specify which other characters (besides the normal alphanumeric ones)
should be considered as part of a word.  This overrides option
\fB\-W\fR (\fB\-\-wordbounds\fR).
.TP
.BR \-Y\ \fIname\fR ", " \-\-syntax= \fIname
Specify the name of the syntax highlighting to use from among the ones
defined in the \fInanorc\fP files.
.TP
.BR \-a ", " \-\-atblanks
When doing soft line wrapping, wrap lines at whitespace
instead of always at the edge of the screen.
.TP
.BR \-c ", " \-\-constantshow
Constantly show the cursor position on the status bar.
Note that this overrides option \fB\-U\fR (\fB\-\-quickblank\fR).
.TP
.BR \-d ", " \-\-rebinddelete
Interpret the Delete key differently so that both Backspace and Delete
work properly.  You should only need to use this option if Backspace
acts like Delete on your system.
.TP
.BR \-g ", " \-\-showcursor
Make the cursor visible in the file browser, putting it on the
highlighted item.  Useful for braille users.
.TP
.BR \-h ", " \-\-help
Show a summary of the available command-line options and exit.
.TP
.BR \-i ", " \-\-autoindent
Indent new lines to the previous line's indentation.  Useful when
editing source code.
.TP
.BR \-k ", " \-\-cutfromcursor
Make the 'Cut Text' command (normally \fB^K\fR) cut from the current cursor
position to the end of the line, instead of cutting the entire line.
.TP
.BR \-l ", " \-\-linenumbers
Display line numbers to the left of the text area.
.TP
.BR \-m ", " \-\-mouse
Enable mouse support, if available for your system.  When enabled, mouse
clicks can be used to place the cursor, set the mark (with a double
click), and execute shortcuts.  The mouse will work in the X Window
System, and on the console when gpm is running.  Text can still be
selected through dragging by holding down the Shift key.
.TP
.BR \-n ", " \-\-noread
Treat any name given on the command line as a new file.  This allows
\fBnano\fR to write to named pipes: it will start with a blank buffer,
and will write to the pipe when the user saves the "file".  This way
\fBnano\fR can be used as an editor in combination with for instance
\fBgpg\fR without having to write sensitive data to disk first.
.TP
.BR \-o\ \fIdirectory\fR ", " \-\-operatingdir= \fIdirectory
Set the operating directory.  This makes \fBnano\fP set up something
similar to a chroot.
.TP
.BR \-p ", " \-\-preserve
Preserve the XON and XOFF sequences (^Q and ^S) so they will be caught
by the terminal.
.TP
.BR \-q ", " \-\-quiet
Do not report errors in the \fInanorc\fP files nor ask them to be
acknowledged by pressing Enter at startup.
.TP
.BR \-r\ \fInumber\fR ", " \-\-fill= \fInumber
Hard-wrap lines at column \fInumber\fP.  If this value is 0 or less, wrapping
will occur at the width of the screen less \fInumber\fP columns, allowing
the wrap point to vary along with the width of the screen if the screen
is resized.  The default value is \-8.  This option conflicts with
\fB\-w\fR (\fB\-\-nowrap\fR) -- the last one given takes effect.
.TP
.BR \-s\ \fIprogram\fR ", " \-\-speller= \fIprogram
Use this alternative spell checker command.
.TP
.BR \-t ", " \-\-tempfile
Save a changed buffer without prompting (when exiting with \fB^X\fR).
.TP
.BR \-u ", " \-\-unix
Save a file by default in Unix format.  This overrides nano's
default behavior of saving a file in the format that it had.
(This option has no effect when you also use \fB\-\-noconvert\fR.)
.TP
.BR \-v ", " \-\-view
Just view the file and disallow editing: read-only mode.
.TP
.BR \-w ", " \-\-nowrap
Disable the hard-wrapping of long lines.  This option conflicts with
\fB\-r\fR (\fB\-\-fill\fR) -- the last one given takes effect.
.TP
.BR \-x ", " \-\-nohelp
Don't show the two help lines at the bottom of the screen.
.TP
.BR \-z ", " \-\-suspend
Enable the suspend ability.
.TP
.BR \-$ ", " \-\-softwrap
Enable 'soft wrapping'.  This will make \fBnano\fP attempt to display the
entire contents of any line, even if it is longer than the screen width, by
continuing it over multiple screen lines.  Since
\&'$' normally refers to a variable in the Unix shell, you should specify
this option last when using other options (e.g.\& 'nano \-wS$') or pass it
separately (e.g.\& 'nano \-wS \-$').
.TP
.BR \-b ", " \-e ", " \-f ", " \-j
Ignored, for compatibility with Pico.

.SH TOGGLES
Several of the above options can be switched on and off also while
\fBnano\fR is running.  For example, \fBM\-L\fR toggles the
hard-wrapping of long lines, \fBM\-$\fR toggles soft-wrapping,
\fBM\-#\fR toggles line numbers, \fBM\-M\fR toggles the mouse,
\fBM\-I\fR auto-indentation, and \fBM\-X\fR the help lines.
See at the end of the \fB^G\fR help text for a complete list.

.SH INITIALIZATION FILE
\fBnano\fP will read initialization files in the following order:
the system's \fBnanorc\fP (if it exists), and then the user's
\fB~/.nanorc\fP (if it exists).  Please see
.BR nanorc (5)
for more information on the possible contents of those files.

.SH NOTES
If no alternative spell checker command is specified on the command
line nor in one of the \fInanorc\fP files, \fBnano\fP will check the
\fBSPELL\fP environment variable for one.
.sp
In some cases \fBnano\fP will try to dump the buffer into an emergency
file.  This will happen mainly if \fBnano\fP receives a SIGHUP or
SIGTERM or runs out of memory.  It will write the buffer into a file
named \fInano.save\fP if the buffer didn't have a name already, or will
add a ".save" suffix to the current filename.  If an emergency file with
that name already exists in the current directory, it will add ".save"
plus a number (e.g.\& ".save.1") to the current filename in order to make
it unique.  In multibuffer mode, \fBnano\fP will write all the open
buffers to their respective emergency files.

.SH BUGS
Justifications (\fB^J\fR) and reindentations (\fBM\-{\fR and \fBM\-}\fR)
are not yet covered by the general undo system.  So after a justification
that is not immediately undone, or after any reindentation, earlier edits
cannot be undone any more.  The workaround is, of course, to exit without
saving.
.sp
Please report any other bugs that you encounter via:
.br
\fIhttps://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?group=nano\fR.

.SH HOMEPAGE
\fIhttps://nano-editor.org/\fR

.SH SEE ALSO
.BR nanorc (5)
.PP
\fI/usr/share/doc/nano/\fP (or equivalent on your system)

.SH AUTHOR
Chris Allegretta and others (see the files \fIAUTHORS\fR and
\fITHANKS\fP for details).  This manual page was originally written by
Jordi Mallach for the Debian system (but may be used by others).