Interlude: how can I edit a file?

Unix has a bewildering variety of text editors. In this course, we will sometimes use a very simple one called Nano. If you type nano filename, it will open filename for editing (or create it if it doesn't already exist). You can then move around with the arrow keys, delete characters with the backspace key, and so on. You can also do a few other operations with control-key combinations:

Ctrl-K: delete a line.
Ctrl-U: un-delete a line.
Ctrl-O: save the file ('O' stands for 'output').
Ctrl-X: exit the editor.

Run nano names.txt to edit a new file in your home directory and enter the following four lines:

Lovelace
Hopper
Johnson
Wilson

To save what you have written, type Ctrl-O to write the file out, then Enter to confirm the filename, then Ctrl-X and Enter to exit the editor.

Exercise

Interlude: how can I edit a file?

Instructions