Nano 9.0: new horizontal scrolling

GNU nano 9.0: Horizontal Scrolling and Navigation Improvements

GNU nano 9.0, codenamed “Le bonheur est dans le pré”, was released in early April 2026. This console-based text editor remains the default choice in many Linux distributions, where Vim is considered overly complex. The previous major version 8.0 came out in May 2024, and the project started with version 1.0 in March 2001.

Key changes focus on scrolling, navigation, and macro handling. They simplify working with wide lines and boost usability in the terminal.

Horizontal Scrolling and Cursor Behavior

Horizontal scrolling support has been added: content shifts left or right in tab-sized steps using M-< and M->. This solves the problem of long lines in a limited terminal window.

Cursor behavior when exceeding the right edge has changed: the entire buffer shifts left, keeping the cursor always visible. The old behavior is available via the -solosidescroll option or set solosidescroll in the config.

Key Remapping and Macros

You can now remap M-Left, M-Right, M-Up, M-Down — handy for customizing to your specific workflow.

Macro handling has been improved: canceling a new recording preserves the previous one. This prevents accidental loss of recordings.

Mouse Support

With the -mouse and -indicator options, clicking the scrollbar moves the position in the buffer. Mouse integration makes the editor more convenient in modern terminals.

| Feature | Description | Combinations/Options |

|---------|-------------|----------------------|

| Horizontal Scrolling | Shift in tab steps | M-<, M-> |

| Cursor Behavior | Auto-shift buffer left | -solosidescroll for legacy |

| Remapping | M-navigation | Nano config |

| Macros | Preservation on cancel | Automatic |

| Mouse | Click on scrollbar | -mouse -indicator |

What's Important

• Horizontal scrolling handles long lines without truncation.
• Cursor stays visible, with the buffer shifting dynamically.
• Remapping M-keys for flexible customization.
• Macros remain stable when canceling a recording.
• Mouse works with the scrollbar when options are enabled.

These updates target mid-level and senior developers working in the CLI. Nano 9.0 keeps its minimalism, adding targeted usability improvements without complicating the interface.

— Editorial Team