Syntax highlighting in nano on Mac OS

install nano.sh

# Last updated May, 2024 for Apple silicon Macs
# Install Homebrew if you don't already have it: https://brew.sh

# install nano from homebrew
brew install nano nanorc

# update your nanorc file
echo 'include "'"$(brew --cellar nano)"'/*/share/nano/*.nanorc"' >> ~/.nanorc

# close and re-open your terminal and you'll have syntax highlighting

Worked for me:

brew install nano nanorc
echo 'include "/opt/homebrew/share/nanorc/*.nanorc"' >> ~/.nanorc

macOS Ventura 13.2.1
Homebrew 4.0.13

Thanks, updated the gist @s-ota-66

Thanks all for the guide! Can confirm current version is working on 13.3.1

Better to use $(brew --prefix) to work with both Intel & ARM chips

brew install nano nanorc
echo 'include "'"$(brew --prefix)"'/share/nanorc/*.nanorc"'

echo 'include "/usr/local/Cellar/nano/*/share/nano/*.nanorc"' >> ~/.nanorc

Works for Sonora

echo 'include "/usr/local/Cellar/nano/*/share/nano/*.nanorc"' >> ~/.nanorc

Probably it would be better to use

echo 'include "'"$(brew --cellar nano)"'/*/share/nano/*.nanorc"' >> ~/.nanorc

so in such case it will use the right path depends on if mac uses Intel or Apple Silicon

as of today, may 13th 2024, the following works without issues on sonoma 14.4.1 with and brew 4.2.21:

brew install nano
echo 'include "'"$(brew --cellar nano)"'/*/share/nano/*.nanorc"' >> ~/.nanorc

thanks everyone for keeping this going :)

Updated the gist thanks @tobsn

It took me way too long to notice that the /usr/bin/nano that comes with macOS is actually "UW PICO 5.09". GNU nano installed via homebrew immediately followed that .nanorc and applied syntax highlighting. 😄