Setting up GNU Nano on Windows

Aug 6, 2020 at 1:10pm
I'd like to set up Nano on Windows, but I'm not sure how can I do that. I've seen some guides, but they all mention modifying the nano.rc config file.

The problem is that, this file doesn't exist on my system. I made the file myself, downloaded the nanorc files with syntax highlighting from GitHub and added this line to the config file: (using the nano editor)
include c:/user/adam/desktop/nano/c.nanorc

But it doesn't work, I'm not sure where am I supposed to put the config file. If someone can give me a step-by-step tutorial I'd appreciate that.

I also tried following this tutorial on SO, but it didn't help.
(https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27658187/nano-syntax-color-highlighting-in-windows)
Last edited on Aug 6, 2020 at 1:26pm
Aug 6, 2020 at 4:19pm
Have you seen this link before?
https://showtop.info/install-nano-text-editor-windows-10-command-prompt/

Here's a direct link to the Win32 versions of nano:
https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/v2.5/NT/
Aug 6, 2020 at 5:33pm
I've downloaded this one:
https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/win32-support/

The one I've downloaded is only the executable, but the one you've linked is an archive with the nano.rc config file and everything. I don't understand why.

EDIT: I followed the instructions, but it still doesn't work.
Last edited on Aug 6, 2020 at 5:40pm
Aug 6, 2020 at 8:47pm
You downloaded the wrong package.

From the link I gave ( https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/v2.5/NT/ ) download the nano-2.5.3.zip package. Follow the directions from https://showtop.info/install-nano-text-editor-windows-10-command-prompt/ and in a couple of minutes you should be able to have nano running in a Windows command prompt. I did it in less than 5 minutes.
Aug 6, 2020 at 10:18pm
They both work fine. I tried the one you've linked, but it doesn't read the config (nano.rc) file.
Aug 7, 2020 at 12:26am
Here is the relevant manual section.
https://nano-editor.org/dist/latest/nano.html#Nanorc-File
Where is the run-control file?
Is it in one of the candidate locations listed in the manual?

Hint:
Unless the system environment is modified, HOME, it it exists at all, does not point to the desktop.
Last edited on Aug 7, 2020 at 12:27am
Aug 7, 2020 at 12:55am
cygwin may have it, but its kind of its own thing, dunno if it appeals to you. I pulled it down to have all the unix commandline in my windows command line, and g++.
Aug 7, 2020 at 7:18am
Okay, I downloaded the package, that Furry Guy linked along with some syntax highlighting files. and I tried to run Nano like this:

nano -Y c.nanorc

This c.nanorc file is in the same folder as the Nano executable and the nano.rc file. It did run, but the syntax highlighting didn't work, what am I doing wrong?
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