nano: update a file after selecting it using the file browser

Question

I have no problems when open+change+save a file if I write nano filename on the terminal. But if I open nano and open the File Browser and open a file and try to save it, there is no default file name!:

@DanielLyons the question is: is possible to get by default the name of the file I have just edited? At this moment I have to write it. — tirenweb, Oct 09 '17 at 17:26
Seems like a feature request to me; I don't see any documentation about this, there's no real completion here. Personally, I would probably spend this time and energy learning a more capable editor than wishing for better features from nano. Nano was made to be tiny, not powerful. — Daniel Lyons, Oct 09 '17 at 18:51

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 12 '17 at 04:04

I have tried your problem and indeed found that nano unable to "remember" the filename. My suspicion is that, when you open the editor just by typing "nano" in the command line, it only reads the content of that file, and paste it to the current buffer (without also making a new buffer for opening that file).

So try to do this:
1. Open nano just by typing nano in terminal
2. Then type alt + F to enable nano to open file into separate buffer
3. Read your file of interest from nano by ctrl + R, then ctrl + T
4. Make some modification to the file, and try to save it, It should know the filename of the original file now!

@i will try it in some days – tirenweb Oct 12 '17 at 12:32 — tirenweb, Oct 12 '17 at 12:32
@ziiweb please tell me your result after that, – hafizhanindito Oct 12 '17 at 15:32 — hafizhanindito, Oct 12 '17 at 15:32

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 10 '17 at 05:13

As far as I know, nano doesn't have a default file name feature when invoked with no arguments, if that is what you are asking for.

However, you can set up a shell alias like below to achieve what you're going for. Random hex string to nearly guarantee a unique file wherever it is invoked. You can probably get fancier with a shell function, adding a filename test conditional and invoking custom arguments if they were actually specified.

alias nanod='nano $(head -c16 < /dev/urandom | xxd -pu)'

Single quotes are important; double quotes will result in the subshell being evaluated then the result aliased.

Consider a shell function instead: `nanod() { nano "$(head -c16 — Charles Duffy, Oct 16 '17 at 17:14

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 10 '17 at 05:38

1

Unfortunately what you are asking for is not implemented or maybe it is a bug. You are doing everything right, it's just that nano doesn't "remember" what file you just opened when using the builtin browser feature.

answered Oct 10 '17 at 05:38

tiktak

1,214
8
15

nano: update a file after selecting it using the file browser

3 Answers3