GNU nano 9.0 adds smarter horizontal scrolling, rebindable keys & better mouse navigation

GNU nano 9.0 “Le bonheur est dans le pré” has been released, introducing major enhancements focused on navigation and usability for terminal-based text editing. The new horizontal scrolling method now keeps the cursor visible by moving all lines sideways together, adjusting only as much as needed. Users preferring the previous single-line scrolling can still revert to it using the --solosidescroll flag or the set solosidescroll option.

Building on these navigation improvements, the viewport can now be scrolled side-to-side in tabsize increments with M- keyboard shortcuts. This change streamlines the process of moving through wide files and is particularly useful for users working with code or data in columns. Those who previously used these shortcuts to switch buffers can consult the man nanorc manual for guidance.

Alongside these changes, nano 9.0 makes M-Left, M-Right, M-Up, and M-Down navigation keys rebindable, enhancing keyboard customization and accessibility. For users with mouse support enabled via --mouse and --indicator, clicking in the scrollbar area now allows quick navigation within the buffer.

Additional adjustments include safeguarding macros from accidental overwriting when recording is quickly stopped, and ensuring that feature toggles do not interrupt chains of cut or copy operations except for the M-K cut-from-cursor function.