The latest version of the beloved lightweight text editor, GNU Nano, has arrived with version 8.5, codenamed “Sigourney,” introducing several practical improvements that streamline workflow and polish existing features.
One of the standout changes in Nano 8.5 is the enhanced handling of cursor positions. When the --positionlog option is active, the editor now saves anchor positions upon closing a file and restores them upon reopening. This means users can pick up right where they left off.
Keyboard shortcuts also see some subtle but meaningful adjustments. The familiar ^O^Q and ^X^Q sequences now cause Nano to exit with an error status—a minor but deliberate tweak that could help scripters and power users detect unintended exits.
Moreover, ^L (traditionally used for refreshing the screen) now simply centers the cursor, while M-% cycles it—small quality-of-life changes that may not revolutionize editing but certainly smooth out the experience.
Under the hood, syntax coloring has been fine-tuned to behave more reliably across different locales, addressing inconsistencies that occasionally tripped up users in multilingual environments.
And in a curious twist, the update introduces an undocumented --whitespace option—leaving enthusiasts to speculate (or dig through the source code) about its purpose.
The release announcement provides more information about all changes in Nano 8.5. The full changelog can be found here, and downloads are available here.
