If you are looking for a simple editor, you can always pick Nano. Whenever you are working on the command line, you need to edit or create several text files. 

You have GNU Nano text editor to the rescue to accomplish your purpose. It is an extremely easy-to-use text editor for both Linux and UNIX operating systems. 

There are ample functionalities associated with it. For instance, syntax highlighting, spell checking, multiple buffers, and much more.

Here, in this article, let us understand the basic commands and how select all nano command works.. 

Let’s begin!

Firstly, here is how you can install Nano in your system.

How to install Nano?

This text editor comes pre-installed in Linux and macOS. If you want to be sure that your system has Nano, type in the following command:

nano --version

The output screen should look something like this:

GNU nano, version 2.9.3
(C) 1999-2011, 2013-2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
(C) 2014-2018 the contributors to nano
Email: [email protected] Web: https://nano-editor.org/

In case your system does not show the details of the text editor, don't worry! You can install it with a few simple commands!

Follow these Linux commands to install the Nano text editor on your system:

  • If you work on Ubuntu or Debian:

sudo apt install nano

  • On the other hand, if you are a CentOS or Fedora user, type in the following command:

sudo yum install nano

Now, to open or create files in the Nano text editor, simply type the filename in this format:

nano filename

This command will take you to the new editor window. Note that you can enter any name for your file in the space where 'filename' is written. There, you can easily edit the files. 

Additionally, there are abundant command shortcuts to work within the Nano text editor. 

For instance:

  • ^J: this symbol means to press Ctrl and J keys together
  • M: this signifies the Alt key
  • ^: this symbol means the Ctrl key

Mostly, all the commands begin with either ^ or M. If you want a complete list of all the commands, you need to type Ctrl+g.

Next up is the procedure to select the entire text in the Nano editor. 

How to select all the text in Nano? [Nano select all]

To select all text in Nano, you need to open your file in the editor and use specific key combinations. Here's how to do it:

  1. Open the terminal and type the command sudo nano abc.txt to open your file in Nano.
    sudo nano abc.txt
  2. Once the file is open, use the cursor keys to navigate to the beginning of the file or press Alt + \
  3. To start selecting text, press Ctrl + 6. This sets the mark at the beginning of your text.
  4. Then, press Alt + / to jump to the end of the file. This extends the selection to the entire file.

That’s it!

Let us now learn the method to save and exit a file in the Nano text editor.

How to save and exit in Nano?

Press Ctrl+o to save any changes that you make in a file. In order to save changes, you must have the write permissions to the file.

Now, to exit, press Ctrl+x. 

Moving on, the next segment tells you how to edit files using the Nano text editor.

How to edit files in Nano?

Using Nano is pretty simple. If you want to edit some files, go to the desired file and perform these steps:

  • If you want to move your cursor to a particular line or a character number, press the Ctrl+_ command
  • As soon as you enter this command, the menu changes on the bottom of your screen
  • To enter the number(s), insert in the ‘Enter the line number, column number’ field and then press Enter

Now, to search or replace text in the file, follow these commands.

How to search and replace text in Nano?

In order to search and replace text, you can press Ctrl+\. Type in the text that you wish to search followed by the text to replace it with.  

As soon as the editor traces the first match, it asks you to press Y or N. It then passes on to the next match. When you reach your desired match, press A. 

This replaces all the text matches at once.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, Nano is an extremely simple and easy to use a text editor.

Other text editors like Vim and Emacs are also widely used by users. But, both of them possess a steep learning curve, which can be a bit of a challenge for novice users. 

Therefore, Nano is a safe choice for everyone. Loaded with tons of features and easy command executions, this text editor provides you with an easy way to find your way through the hard work!

This article presents you with the command to select all in Nano text editor and some of the most basic commands that may help to ease down your work. We hope that this information assists you to solve your queries regarding the topic. We also recommend, seamlessly integrate with various Linux-based applications and enjoy the flexibility to scale resources as required. Take advantage of the opportunity to buy a Linux VPS from 1gbits and unlock a world of possibilities for your online presence. 

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