Bash Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential Shortcuts

Ctrl + A  # Start
Ctrl + E  # End

Ctrl + K  # Cut
Ctrl + Y  # Paste

Ctrl + R  # Search
↑ ↓       # Browse

Ctrl + C  # Cancel
Ctrl + Z  # Suspend

🔹 Cursor Movement

Mastering cursor movement shortcuts eliminates reliance on arrow keys, dramatically speeding up command-line editing. Press Ctrl+A to jump to the line start and Ctrl+E for the end. Move forward/backward one word with Alt+F and Alt+B. Use Ctrl+XX to toggle between the start and current position. These keystrokes allow rapid navigation within long or complex commands, making correction and refinement efficient. Integrating these into your workflow is a fundamental skill for proficient terminal usage.

# Move to beginning of line
Ctrl + A

# Move to end of line
Ctrl + E

# Move forward one word
Alt + F  (or Esc + F)

# Move backward one word
Alt + B  (or Esc + B)

# Move forward one character
Ctrl + F

# Move backward one character
Ctrl + B

Before: echo hello |world
Ctrl + A: |echo hello world
Ctrl + E: echo hello world|
Alt + B: echo hello |world

🔹 Text Editing

Powerful in-line text editing shortcuts let you modify commands instantly without reaching for the mouse. Delete from cursor to line end with Ctrl+K, or to start with Ctrl+U. Remove the previous word using Ctrl+W. Paste the last deleted text (Ctrl+Y). Transpose characters (Ctrl+T) or undo (Ctrl+_). These operations streamline command construction, fix typos quickly, and reuse text fragments, greatly enhancing editing efficiency and reducing frustration during complex command entry.

# Delete character under cursor
Ctrl + D

# Delete character before cursor (backspace)
Ctrl + H

# Cut from cursor to end of line
Ctrl + K

# Cut from cursor to beginning of line
Ctrl + U

# Cut word before cursor
Ctrl + W

# Paste last cut text
Ctrl + Y

# Undo last action
Ctrl + _

# Transpose characters
Ctrl + T

Command: echo hello world
Ctrl + W: echo hello |
Ctrl + Y: echo hello world|
Ctrl + K: echo hello |

🔹 Command History

Efficiently accessing and searching command history saves time and prevents retyping errors. Browse sequentially with up/down arrows. Search interactively in reverse with Ctrl+R. Use !! to rerun the last command or !string to run the last command starting with 'string'. Access arguments from the previous command with Alt+.. This deep integration with your command past accelerates workflow, facilitates complex command reuse, and serves as a practical memory aid for your terminal activities.

# Previous command
↑ (Up Arrow)

# Next command
↓ (Down Arrow)

# Search command history
Ctrl + R

# Continue searching backward
Ctrl + R (press again)

# Continue searching forward
Ctrl + S

# Execute found command
Enter

# Edit found command
Esc

# Recall last argument of previous command
Alt + .  (or Esc + .)

Ctrl + R: (reverse-i-search)`git': git status
Press Ctrl + R again: git commit -m "message"
Press Enter: executes the command

🔹 Process Control

Process control shortcuts manage command execution, essential for multitasking and handling long-running jobs. Suspend the foreground process with Ctrl+Z, then resume it in the background with bg or foreground with fg. Terminate the current command with Ctrl+C. Send an EOF (End-Of-File) with Ctrl+D to exit shells or interactive programs. These controls give you immediate command over execution flow, allowing you to pause, switch, or cancel tasks without losing your shell session.

# Cancel current command
Ctrl + C

# Suspend current process (send to background)
Ctrl + Z

# End of file (exit shell or end input)
Ctrl + D

# Pause terminal output
Ctrl + S

# Resume terminal output
Ctrl + Q

# Send EOF signal
Ctrl + D

$ ping google.com
Ctrl + C: ^C (command cancelled)

$ sleep 100
Ctrl + Z: [1]+ Stopped
$ fg: (brings back to foreground)

🔹 Screen Control

Screen control shortcuts manage terminal display issues and improve readability. Clear the entire screen with Ctrl+L for a fresh workspace. Redraw the current line with Ctrl+R if display corruption occurs. Use the reset command (or Ctrl+J followed by 'reset') to fully restore the terminal after binary output garbles it. These tools help maintain a clean, functional workspace, which is especially important when working with commands that produce complex or raw output.

# Clear screen
Ctrl + L

# Clear screen (alternative)
clear

# Redraw current line
Ctrl + L (in some terminals)

# Reset terminal
reset

# Exit shell
Ctrl + D (at empty prompt)

# Logout
exit

Ctrl + L: Screen cleared, prompt at top
clear: Same as Ctrl + L
reset: Terminal completely reset

🔹 Tab Completion

Tab completion accelerates command entry and reduces errors by auto-filling commands, filenames, and paths. Press Tab once to complete the current word; press it twice to list all possible completions. It works for commands in your PATH, files/directories in the current directory, and even variable names. This feature not only speeds up typing but also acts as a discovery tool and a guard against typos in critical commands or file paths, making shell interaction faster and more accurate.

# Complete command or filename
Tab

# Show all possible completions
Tab Tab

# Complete variable name
$VAR[Tab]

# Complete username
~user[Tab]

# Complete hostname
ssh user@host[Tab]

$ cd Doc[Tab]
$ cd Documents/

$ git che[Tab][Tab]
checkout  cherry-pick  cherry

🔹 Advanced Shortcuts

Advanced editing shortcuts unlock powerful transformations for expert-level command-line efficiency. Change the case of the current word with Alt+U (uppercase) or Alt+L (lowercase). Swap the current word with the previous using Alt+T. Execute a specific history command by number with !n. Expand history references like !!:s/old/new/ for substitution. Mastering these techniques enables lightning-fast editing and complex command manipulation directly at the prompt.

# Capitalize word
Alt + C

# Uppercase word
Alt + U

# Lowercase word
Alt + L

# Transpose words
Alt + T

# Execute command from history
!number

# Repeat last command
!!

# Last argument of previous command
!$

# All arguments of previous command
!*

$ echo hello world
$ !!
echo hello world

$ mkdir /tmp/test
$ cd !$
cd /tmp/test