Install Nano Editor (with syntax highlighting) on MacOS without using Homebrew [updated Jan 2024]

install_nano_on_macos_without_homebrew.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Install Nano Editor (with syntax highlighting) on MacOS without using Homebrew
# You can get the latest version number from https://www.nano-editor.org

# Instructions:
# - First off, download this Bash script from the browser & make it executable:
#   $ chmod +x install_nano_on_macos_without_homebrew.sh
# - If you have "wget" installed (you most likely do), just run the script with:
#   $ ./install_nano_on_macos_without_homebrew.sh
#   ...and you're ready.
# - If you don't have "wget" installed, download the latest release of the Nano Editor in *.tar.gz
#   from https://www.nano-editor.org and make sure the version referenced in the *.tar.gz file is also
#   referenced in the VERSION specified after these comments & then run the script with:
#   $ ./install_nano_on_macos_without_homebrew.sh
#   ...which will use the file your downloaded for the Nano Editor to install it directly.

VERSION="7.2" # As of Jan 2024 - set the version number here

cd ~/Downloads

if [ ! -f "nano-${VERSION}.tar.gz" ]; then
    wget -O nano.tar.gz https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/latest/nano-${VERSION}.tar.gz
fi

tar -xvf nano.tar.gz
mv nano ~/.nano
cd ~/.nano
./configure
make
sudo make install

touch ~/.nanorc
cat > "~/.nanorc" <<EOF
## Some defaults
set autoindent
set historylog
set indicator
set linenumbers
set locking
set mouse
set softwrap
set stateflags
set tabsize 4
set tabstospaces

## Enable syntax highlighting in Nano
include ~/.nano/syntax/*.nanorc

EOF

exit

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Install nano editor https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/v4/nano-4.9.3.tar.xz Modified: 2020 May 23

VERSION="4.9.3"
NANO_SHORT="nano-$VERSION"
NANO_SRC="$NANO_SHORT.tar.xz"
NANO_URL="https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/v4"
NANO_EXTRA="https://github.com/scopatz/nanorc"


cd ~/
wget $NANO_URL/$NANO_SRC
tar -zxvf $NANO_SRC

mv $NANO_SHORT .nano && cd .nano/
./configure && make && sudo make install

git clone --depth=1 $NANO_EXTRA syntax_improved
cd ~/ && touch .nanorc

echo "# Enable syntax highlighting in Nano" >> $HOME/.nanorc
echo "include ~/.nano/syntax/*.nanorc" >> $HOME/.nanorc
echo "include ~/.nano/syntax_improved/*.nanorc" >> $HOME/.nanorc

rm -vf $NANO_SRC
printf "\nExit terminal and reopen using $NANO_SHORT\nTo unistall it and revert
to old:\ncd ~/.nano && sudo make\n"
exit

@a3igner It should work fine now, the problem was in the creation of the nanorc

Thanks. I did it already like above and added the alias in the bashrc like suggested above. Works perfectly.

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Install nano editor https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/v4/nano-4.9.3.tar.xz Modified: 2020 May 23

VERSION="4.9.3"
NANO_SHORT="nano-$VERSION"
NANO_SRC="$NANO_SHORT.tar.xz"
NANO_URL="https://www.nano-editor.org/dist/v4"
NANO_EXTRA="https://github.com/scopatz/nanorc"


cd ~/
wget $NANO_URL/$NANO_SRC
tar -zxvf $NANO_SRC

mv $NANO_SHORT .nano && cd .nano/
./configure && make && sudo make install

git clone --depth=1 $NANO_EXTRA syntax_improved
cd ~/ && touch .nanorc

echo "# Enable syntax highlighting in Nano" >> $HOME/.nanorc
echo "include ~/.nano/syntax/*.nanorc" >> $HOME/.nanorc
echo "include ~/.nano/syntax_improved/*.nanorc" >> $HOME/.nanorc

rm -vf $NANO_SRC
printf "\nExit terminal and reopen using $NANO_SHORT\nTo unistall it and revert
to old:\ncd ~/.nano && sudo make\n"
exit

@a3igner It should work fine now, the problem was in the creation of the nanorc

Works on 11.0 Beta 2, thank you!

Hello, what’s about nano on IPadOS, sir? I try install this pakage in NewTerm mobile but not working!

Hello, what’s about nano on IPadOS, sir? I try install this pakage in NewTerm mobile but not working!

Does iPadOS even has a terminal? LOL! I'll check this information and the possibility of installing "nano" to a non-jailbroken iOS environment

@homogulosus i just tried this on a fresh catalina install and your script didnt work.

Try to edit .nanorc file manually and add

# Enable syntax highlighting in Nano
include ~/.nano/syntax/*.nanorc

Hi,

I run the code chunk above on terminal and I got error below. Would anyone please tell me how to fix it? Thank you so much!

Error in /Users/Chris/.nano/syntax_improved/zig.nanorc on line 2: Color "latte" not understood
Error in /Users/Chris/.nano/syntax_improved/zig.nanorc on line 9: Command "tabgives" not understood
Error in /Users/Chris/.nano/syntax_improved/rego.nanorc on line 15: Color "purple" not understood
Error in /Users/Chris/.nano/syntax_improved/Rnw.nanorc on line 19: Bad regex "([a-zA-Z0-9_-$.])(": Invalid range end
Error in /Users/Chris/.nano/syntax_improved/zig.nanorc on line 2: Color "latte" not understood
Error in /Users/Chris/.nano/syntax_improved/zig.nanorc on line 9: Command "tabgives" not understood
Error in /Users/Chris/.nano/syntax_improved/rego.nanorc on line 15: Color "purple" not understood
Error in /Users/Chris/.nano/syntax_improved/Rnw.nanorc on line 19: Bad regex "([a-zA-Z0-9_-$.])(": Invalid range end

This script was written for the Bash shell. My guess is you're on Zsh (the new shell used in macOS).

In any case, since this guide was written some time ago, I would recommend installing Homebrew and then just do brew install nano and you're done.

Hi @fevangelou

I brew install nano then bash and even update to nano 4.0 but I still got that error. I switch from zsh to bash.