nano Description

GNU nano was created as a free alternative to the Pico text editor, which is part of the Pine email suite developed by the University of Washington. Its goal was to closely mimic Pico while incorporating additional features. The Debian GNU/Linux distribution, recognized for its commitment to distributing genuinely "free" software (meaning software that has no limitations on redistribution), chose not to include binary packages for Pine or Pico. This decision left many users in a difficult position: while they appreciated these applications, the available versions did not align with the GNU definition of free software. GNU nano serves as a compact and user-friendly text editor. In addition to standard text editing capabilities, nano provides features such as undo/redo, syntax highlighting, interactive search-and-replace, automatic indentation, line numbering, word completion, file locking, backup files, and support for internationalization. Notably, with the release of version 4.0, nano ceased to automatically wrap overly long lines by default, enhancing user control over text formatting. This change reflects the continuous evolution of the software to better meet user needs.

Integrations

Reviews - 1 Verified Review

Total
ease
features
design
support

Company Details

Company:
nano
Year Founded:
1999
Website:
www.nano-editor.org

Media

nano Screenshot 1
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Product Details

Platforms
Linux
Types of Training
Training Docs
Customer Support
Online Support

nano Features and Options

Code Editors

API
Auto-Complete
Code Folding
Column Editing
Customizable Themes
Debugging
Formatting / Table Editing
Keyboard Shortcuts
Multi-Monitor Editing
Syntax Highlighting
WYSIWYG

Text Editors

API
Auto-Complete
Code Folding
Column Editing
Customizable Themes
Debugging
Formatting / Table Editing
Keyboard Shortcuts
Multi-Monitor Editing
Syntax Highlighting
WYSIWYG

nano User Reviews

Write a Review
  • Name: Anonymous (Verified)
    Job Title: Student
    Length of product use: Less than 6 months
    Used How Often?: Daily
    Role: User
    Organization Size: 1,000 - 4,999
    Features
    Design
    Ease
    Pricing
    Support
    Likelihood to Recommend to Others
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

    GNU nano is cool

    Date: May 22 2026

    Summary: nano is a great tool in my opinion, being great for all kinds of editing for text and code files.

    Positive: It's a very simplistic product, and absolutely amazing for editing text or markdown files. It works well for writing.

    Negative: GNU nano refuses to automatically enable line wrapping.

    Read More...
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