GNU Nano is an improved version of the Pico editor, designed to simplify text editing for users with a terminal-based interface, featuring enhanced functionalities.
If you are in search of a text editor that is user-friendly and easy to use, then the GNU nano project is a great option. This project was developed in response to certain issues with the Pico text editor, which while easy to use, had certain drawbacks.
One of the biggest issues with Pico was its license, which was not GPL-friendly and had unclear restrictions on redistribution. This meant that it was not included in many GNU/Linux distributions. Additionally, certain features like goto line number or search and replace were either unavailable, or required a command line flag.
The GNU nano project addressed these problems by emulating the functionality of Pico to a large extent, while also providing additional functionality. The nano editor is now an official GNU package and it can be easily installed on your system.
The installation process is straightforward. All you need to do is download the nano source code and execute a few commands such as "tar zxvf nano-x.y.z.tar.gz, cd nano-x.y.z, ./configure, make, and make install". Moreover, if required, you can use the --prefix option with configure to change the default installation directory.
Overall, GNU nano is an excellent text editor that is worth trying out. It is simple to use, comes with a host of useful features and is available free of cost.
One of the biggest issues with Pico was its license, which was not GPL-friendly and had unclear restrictions on redistribution. This meant that it was not included in many GNU/Linux distributions. Additionally, certain features like goto line number or search and replace were either unavailable, or required a command line flag.
The GNU nano project addressed these problems by emulating the functionality of Pico to a large extent, while also providing additional functionality. The nano editor is now an official GNU package and it can be easily installed on your system.
The installation process is straightforward. All you need to do is download the nano source code and execute a few commands such as "tar zxvf nano-x.y.z.tar.gz, cd nano-x.y.z, ./configure, make, and make install". Moreover, if required, you can use the --prefix option with configure to change the default installation directory.
Overall, GNU nano is an excellent text editor that is worth trying out. It is simple to use, comes with a host of useful features and is available free of cost.
What's New
Version 2.1.11: N/A