nano command in Linux: a simple console editor, examples

Q: No permission to save

You didn't open it with sudo. Quit (Ctrl+X, without saving) and sudo nano file.

Q: Long-line wrapping is confusing (configs)

nano -w file (or set nowrap) turns off soft wrapping, so long config lines don't look visually "broken".

Overview

nano is a simple editor: you type right away, with no modes (unlike vim). The bottom of the screen shows keyboard shortcuts, where ^ means Ctrl and M- means Alt. A good choice for quick config edits.

bash

nano file                         # open/create a file
sudo nano /etc/hosts              # edit a system file
nano +25 file                     # open positioned at line 25
nano -w /etc/nginx/nginx.conf     # no soft-wrapping long lines (important for configs!)

Options

7

/

set linenumbers          # line numbers
set tabsize 4
set tabstospaces         # tabs become spaces
set constantshow         # always show the cursor position
include "/usr/share/nano/*.nanorc"   # syntax highlighting

Globally — /etc/nanorc. Highlighting for many formats works out of the box.

Option	What it does	Example
`-w` `--nowrap`	Do not soft-wrap long lines — important when editing config files.	`nano -w /etc/nginx/nginx.conf`
`-l` `--linenumbers`	Show line numbers.	`nano -l file`
`+N`	Open the file positioned at line N.	`nano +25 file`
`-c` `--constantshow`	Always display the current cursor position.	`nano -c file`
`-i` `--autoindent`	Auto-indent — a new line inherits the previous line's indent.	`nano -i file`
`-m` `--mouse`	Enable mouse support.	`nano -m file`
`-B` `--backup`	Keep a backup copy of the file (suffixed ~) when saving.	`nano -B file`

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Recipes

1

Keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl+O   save (Write Out), then Enter to confirm the name
Ctrl+X   quit (asks about saving)
Ctrl+W   search (Where Is); Alt+W — next match
Ctrl+\   search and replace
Ctrl+K   cut a line          Ctrl+U — paste
Ctrl+6   start a selection, then arrows → Ctrl+K cuts the selection
Alt+U / Alt+E   undo / redo
Ctrl+_   go to line:column
Ctrl+G   help (the full list)

^O = Ctrl+O, M-W = Alt+W. This is printed at the bottom of the screen — check there.

Troubleshooting

5

You saved, but the change didn't take effect for the service

The editor only writes the file. The service needs to reread its config (systemctl reload/restart).

No permission to save

You didn't open it with sudo. Quit (Ctrl+X, without saving) and sudo nano file.

Long-line wrapping is confusing (configs)

nano -w file (or set nowrap) turns off soft wrapping, so long config lines don't look visually "broken".

Mouse paste breaks / duplicates

Terminal paste can be slow with large blocks; for configs this is usually fine. For indentation, use set tabstospaces.

More used to vim

For servers, know at least the minimum of vim — it's always there; nano sometimes isn't installed (sudo apt install nano).

nano — a simple console editor

Cheat sheet