After a span of two and a half months post its significant 8.0 release, Nano, the well-liked command-line text editor, has unveiled version 8.1, affectionately dubbed “de dag van de bitterkoekjespudding,” showcasing upgrades and fresh functionalities.

The key highlight of Nano 8.1 is the debut of the --colonparsing feature, empowering users to swiftly navigate to a specific line in a file by simply attaching the line number to the filename using a colon, for instance, nano filename:linenumber.

Nevertheless, to maintain compatibility with diverse user preferences and existing configurations, this feature necessitates explicit activation.

Enhancing its user-friendliness, Nano now incorporates a novel bindable function called cycle. This function ingeniously alters text visibility by centering the current line and sequentially moving it to the top and bottom of the viewport; by default, it is bound to the “^L” key.

For individuals interested in syntax highlighting, the new --listsyntaxes or -z functionality delivers a swift reference to all available syntaxes, a valuable tool particularly for programmers and writers dealing with diverse languages.

Regarding technical advancements, Nano 8.1 mandates version 0.20 of gettext for Git-based builds and recommends employing the standard autoreconf command for builds.

Documentation has undergone a comprehensive update as well. Fresh entries elucidate the operations of recently introduced features and options such as --colonparsing and cycle. Noteworthy is the addition of revised shortcuts like “Alt+Home” and “Alt+End,” accommodating users of various terminal emulators.

Lastly, the latest release addresses numerous adjustments and bug fixes aimed at enhancing the editor’s overall performance and stability. These modifications include alterations in how specific keystrokes are managed and rectifying inaccurate file format indications.

For additional details on all modifications in Nano 8.1, the comprehensive changelog is accessible here, with downloads available at this location.

https://linuxiac.com/nano-8-1-command-line-text-editor/