How to use Nano Commands
Nano is a tool you can use to modify or create files within SSH. It is incredibly useful for editing existing files and offers a wide range of functionality.
Nano is a modeless editor, meaning once you have opened a file you can type to add text to it. There may be times when you need to turn off line wrap to ensure there are no formatting issues.
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To disable wrapping on long text lines:
nano -w /filedirectory/filename
When you have a file open using nano, there are commands that will assist you in finding, editing, or saving content. Below is a list of commands you can use when editing a file with nano to perform common operations:
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To exit: CTRL+x
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To save after modification, exit with the above command and enter
ywhen prompted. -
To cancel any modification, exit with the above command and enter
nwhen prompted. -
If creating a new file, upon running the above command you will also be prompted for a file name. Enter the desired file name to create the file.
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To cut a single line:
CTRL+k -
To paste a line:
CTRL+u -
To search for items:
CTRL+w -
To save without exiting:
CTRL+o -
Justify current selected paragraph:
CTRL+j -
Insert a file into the currently selected one:
CTRL+r -
Move to previous screen:
CTRL+y -
Move to next screen:
CTRL + v -
Display cursor:
CTRL+c -
Invoke spell checker:
CTRL+t
For further commands that can be used when utilizing the nano utility, please use the following command to pull up a full list of features.
- To pull up nano help page: CTRL+g