Nano Cheat Sheet

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Nano is a simple command-line text editor for Unix-like systems. Unlike vi or Vim, Nano’s interface and commands are more intuitive, making it a popular choice for quick edits.

1. Opening and Closing Files

  • nano filename
    Opens (or creates, if it doesn’t exist) a file named filename in Nano.
  • nano +line filename
    Opens the file and places the cursor at the specified line number.
  • nano -w filename
    Disables word wrapping, ensuring each line remains intact.
  • Exiting and Saving
    • Ctrl + X – Exits Nano. If there are unsaved changes, you’ll be prompted to save or discard them.
    • Ctrl + O – Writes (saves) the current file. You’ll be asked for a filename if the file is new.

2. Basic Navigation

Nano supports arrow keys for simple navigation. In addition, these shortcuts help you move around more quickly:

  • Ctrl + A – Moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line.
  • Ctrl + E – Moves the cursor to the end of the current line.
  • Ctrl + Y – Scrolls up one page (when there is more text above).
  • Ctrl + V – Scrolls down one page (when there is more text below).
  • Alt + \ (or Esc + \) – Jumps to the beginning of the file.
  • Alt + / (or Esc + /) – Jumps to the end of the file.

3. Editing and Deleting

Nano works in insert mode by default—just start typing to insert text. Here are the key editing commands:

  • Backspace – Deletes the character to the left of the cursor.
  • Delete – Deletes the character under the cursor (if your terminal supports it).
  • Ctrl + D – Also deletes the character under the cursor.

4. Cutting, Copying, and Pasting

Nano refers to “cutting” instead of “deleting” entire lines or blocks of text. To copy text, you “mark” and then “uncut” (paste) it.

  1. Cutting (Removing) Text
    • Ctrl + K – Cuts (removes) the entire current line and stores it in a buffer. Repeated presses will cut multiple lines.
  2. Uncutting (Pasting) Text
    • Ctrl + U – Pastes the most recently cut text at the cursor’s position.
  3. Copying (Without Deleting) Text
    • Alt + 6 (or Esc + 6) – Copies the currently highlighted text into the cut buffer without deleting it.
    • Ctrl + U – Pastes it elsewhere.
  4. Selecting Text
    • Ctrl + 6 – Sets a mark at the cursor’s position to start selecting. Move the cursor to highlight the desired region. Now you can cut or copy the selection.

5. Searching and Replacing

Nano has built-in search and replace functionality:

  1. Search
    • Ctrl + W – Prompts for a search string. Press Enter to jump to the first match. Use Alt + W (or Esc + W) to jump to the next match.
  2. Search and Replace
    • Ctrl + \ – Prompts for a string to search for and then a replacement string. Nano will show each match and ask whether to replace it.

6. Useful Command Shortcuts

Below are more shortcuts to enhance your editing experience:

  • Ctrl + G – Opens Nano’s built-in help documentation.
  • Ctrl + T – Invokes the spell checker (if installed).
  • Alt + A (or Esc + A) – Starts marking text (similar to Ctrl + 6).
  • Ctrl + _ (then enter a number) – Jumps directly to a specific line number.
  • Alt + ] – Jumps to the matching bracket or parenthesis (if found).

7. Toggling Features (Line Numbers, etc.)

Depending on your Nano version and configuration, you can toggle certain features on the fly with these commands (in newer versions):

  • Alt + L (or Esc + L) – Toggles display of line numbers in the editor.
  • Alt + M – Toggles mouse support (if available and enabled in your system).

Alternatively, you can edit Nano’s configuration file (e.g., ~/.nanorc) to always enable line numbers, syntax highlighting, and other features.

8. Wrapping Up

Nano’s ease of use makes it an excellent choice for quick text edits in the terminal. Here’s a quick recap of the most common commands:

  • Open/Save/Exit:
    • nano filename | Ctrl + O (save) | Ctrl + X (exit)
  • Navigation:
    • Arrow keys | Ctrl + A (line start) | Ctrl + E (line end)
  • Cut/Copy/Paste:
    • Ctrl + K (cut line) | Alt + 6 (copy selection) | Ctrl + U (paste)
  • Search/Replace:
    • Ctrl + W (search) | Ctrl + \ (search & replace)
  • Help:
    • Ctrl + G brings up Nano’s help menu.

Mastering these commands will greatly speed up your text editing tasks in the terminal. With Nano’s simple interface and keyboard shortcuts, you can accomplish everything from quick edits to more substantial changes without the learning curve of other editors.