Nano editor - can't set mark

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

I tend to use the Nano editor (opkg install nano.)
I'm trying to follow the manual to cut a block of text. You're supposed to set a mark with 6 or a, move to the end of the block, and hit k.
Doesn't work for me. No block is selected and I just cut a single line of text. What am I doing wrong, or is the version of Nano for OpenWRT a subset of GNU Nano?

2 
opkg list-installed nano
$SHELL --version
3

Version is "nano - 3.2-1"
Shell says "/bin/ash: --version: not found"

4

Nano is built with "tiny" configure option, so that size of the binary is as small as possible.

So, it is a subset of the full functionality. Possibly the "mark" gets cut off.

Note that you are still able to cut/paste whole lines & line blocks via shortcut keys.

5

Thanks.
To whoever maintains Nano, it would be great to have two packaged versions available: Nano and Nano-full. Nano would be the current, tiny version, and nano-full would be more full featured.

6

I +1 farmwald's suggestion, I noticed nanorc config file has no affect and this nano binary is lacking some basic features I am used to with nano such as nowrap, constantshow and the auto empty line at end

7

I know this is an old topic, but it had me flummoxed as well. I was able to compile it though by applying this path:

--- feeds/packages/utils/nano/Makefile  2020-06-25 18:19:12.626028942 +0100
+++ full-nano-makefile  2020-06-25 17:29:35.680165433 +0100
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
   CATEGORY:=Utilities
   TITLE:=An enhanced clone of the Pico text editor
   URL:=https://www.nano-editor.org/
-  DEPENDS:=+libncurses
+  DEPENDS:=+libncurses +zlib +libmagic
 endef

 define Package/nano/description
@@ -40,10 +40,10 @@
 endef

 CONFIGURE_ARGS += \
-       --enable-tiny \
-       --disable-utf8 \
-       --without-slang \
-       --disable-color \
+#      --enable-tiny \
+#      --disable-utf8 \
+#      --without-slang \
+#      --disable-color \

 CONFIGURE_VARS += \
        ac_cv_header_regex_h=no \

save the text above to nano-tiny-to-full.patch in the top directory of your openwrt git clone, and then execute:

patch -b --verbose -i nano-tiny-to-full.patch feeds/packages/utils/nano/Makefile

to apply it. You can then either just:

make packages/utils/nano/compile

and copy it to your router, or make a whole firmware image and upload that. You can then use nanrc, have use coloured themed, etc.

Hope this helps...

8

We have a nice new package called nano-plus. It is really great as with this new version now we can customize it using the ~/.nanorc file.

If you create the file with the following configuration, then you won't think on micro editor for a modern editor in the linux CLI:

bind ^X cut main        # CTRL+X - Cut
bind ^C copy main       # CTRC+C - Copy
bind ^V paste all       # CTRL+V - Past
bind ^Q exit all        # CTRL+Q - Quit program
bind ^S savefile main   # CTRL+S - Save
bind ^Z undo all        # CTRL+Z - Undo
bind ^Y redo all        # CTRL+Y - Redo
bind ^F whereis main    # CTRL+F - Find
bind ^H replace main    # CTRL+H - Replace
bind F3 findnext main   # F3 - Find next
set atblanks
set cutfromcursor
set nohelp
set softwrap
set suspend
set tabsize 4
set tabstospaces
set constantshow
set linenumbers
set casesensitive
set zap
set autoindent
set indicator
set minibar
set nonewlines