LinuxShortcuts

60 Bash Keyboard Shortcuts

for Linux

Software engineers, and avid fans of Bash, must give utmost importance to mastering the shell. And the mastering of shells can take place with the help of Bash Shortcuts. Mastering the Bash shortcuts will prevent you from following the boring manual steps.

Download Bash Keyboard Shortcuts PDF

The bash shell features a wide variety of Bash shortcuts you can use. The below list of Bash shortcuts will operate or work on any operating system. However, note that some of the bash shortcuts might not work if you are assessing bash remotely. Download the rich array of Bash Shortcuts list in the form of a PDF.

Editing Shortcuts

Action Bash Shortcuts
Tab Ctrl + I
New Line Ctrl + J
Enter Ctrl + M
Paste the Last Thing to be Cut Ctrl + Y
Undo Ctrl + _
Upper the case Every Character Form Cursor Alt + U
Lower the case Every Character Form Cursor Alt + L
Capitalize the Character Under Cursor and Move to the End of the Word Alt + C
Cancel Changes and Put Back the Line Alt + R
Delete Character Under Cursor Ctrl + D
Delete Character From Left Ctrl + H
Delete Word before Cursor Alt + Delete
Delete Word after Cursor Alt + D
Clear Screen Ctrl + L
Escape Ctrl + [
Cut Word Before Cursor to Clipboard Ctrl + W
Cut Line After Cursor to Clipboard Ctrl + K
Cut Line Before Cursor to Clipboard Ctrl + U
Swap Current Word with Previous Alt + T
Swap the Last Character before Cursor Ctrl + T
Swap the Last Two Words Before the Cursor Esc + T

Read More: 20 Zendesk Shortcuts You Should Know

Emacs and Vi Mode Shortcuts

Action Bash Shortcut keys
Set Emacs Mode $set -o emacs
Set Vi Mode $set -o vi

Navigation Shortcuts

Action Bash Shortcuts
Go to the Beginning of the Line Home
Go to the End of the Line End
Forward one character Ctrl + F
Backward one character Ctrl + B
Previous Command Ctrl + P
Next Command Ctrl + N
Back one word Alt + B
Forward one word Alt + F

Read More: 170 MS Access Shortcut Keys for Windows

Control Character Shortcuts

Action Bash Shortcuts
^@ Ctrl + 2
^Escape Ctrl + 3
^\ Ctrl + 4
^ Ctrl + 5
^^ Ctrl + 6
^_Undo Ctrl + 7
^? Backward Delete Character Ctrl + 8
Display Sequence for entering Key Ctrl + V

History Shortcuts

Action Bash Shortcuts
Recall Last Command Ctrl + R
Previous Command in History Ctrl + P
Next Command in History Ctrl + N
Go back to Next Most Recent Command Ctrl + S
Escape from History Searching Mode Ctrl + O
Repeat Last Command Ctrl + G
Run Last Command Starting with ABC !!
Print the last Command starting with ABC !abc
Last Argument of Previous Command !abc:p
Last Argument of Previous Command !$
All Arguments of Previous Command Alt + .
Run Previous Command, replacing abc with def ^abc^def

Read More: 10 Pandora Shortcuts You Should Know

Process Controls Shortcuts

Action Bash Shortcuts
Interrupt or Kill Whatever you are running Ctrl + C
Clear Screen Ctrl + L
Stop Output to Screen Ctrl + S
Allow Output to Screen Ctrl + Q
Send an EOF Marker Ctrl + D
Send the signal SIGTSTP to Current Task Ctrl + Z

The bash shortcuts will boost maximizing your productivity to around 90%. However, Bash is not the only shell out there. The one that can be the best alternative to bash is ZSH. It is a default shell in macOS. No doubt the experience of using this shell can be quite different. Dig into the ZSH shortcuts list.

FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions about Bash keyboard shortcuts:

What is the shortcut to exit the Bash terminal?

Typing the “exit” command or pressing Ctrl + D will exit the Bash terminal.

Are there any shortcuts to search through command history in Bash?

Ctrl + R is the shortcut to search through command history in Bash.

How can I quickly navigate between words in the Bash command line?

  • Alt + B moves the cursor one word backward.
  • Alt + F moves the cursor one word forward.

What is the shortcut to clear the screen in Bash?

Ctrl + L is the shortcut to clear the screen in Bash.

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