If you’re a Linux user, you know that the bash shell is a powerful tool. With shortcuts, you can speed up your work and be more productive. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most useful bash shortcuts that every Linux user should know. These shortcuts will help you save time and make your work easier!
what is bash in Ubuntu
Bash is a shell and command language that is typically used for system administration. It can also be used for programming and general scripting. Bash is available on most Linux and UNIX-based systems.
Bash provides a rich set of features, including command line editing, history, job control, shell functions and aliases, among others. The bash shell also has a powerful programming language built into it. With all these features, bash can be used for both interactive use and scripting.
Linux bash shortcut – tab key
The first shortcut we will discuss is the Tab key. The Tab key is used for one main purpose in bash: completion.
Completion is a feature that allows you to type in the first few letters of a command, filename, or directory name and then hit the Tab key to automatically complete the rest. This can be a huge time saver, especially when you are working with long filenames or complex directory structures.
When you are typing a command, you can hit the Tab key to automatically complete the command or show a list of possible commands that start with the letters you have typed so far. This can be very useful when you forget the exact name of a command or when you want to see a list of all the available commands that start with a certain letter.
Bash shortcut – Navigation
- Ctrl + a Go to the beginning of the line.
- Ctrl + e Go to the end of the line.
- Alt + f Move the cursor forward one word.
- Alt + b Move the cursor back one word.
- Ctrl + f Move the cursor forward one character.
- Ctrl + b Move the cursor back one character.
- Ctrl + x, x Toggle between the current cursor position and the beginning of the line.
Bash shortcut – Editing
- Alt + d Delete the word after the cursor.
- Alt + Delete Delete the word before the cursor.
- Ctrl + d Delete the character beneath the cursor.
- Ctrl + h Delete the character before the cursor (like backspace).
- Ctrl + k Cut the line after the cursor to the clipboard.
- Ctrl + u Cut the line before the cursor to the clipboard.
- Ctrl + d Cut the word after the cursor to the clipboard.
- Ctrl + w Cut the word before the cursor to the clipboard.
- Ctrl + y Paste the last item to be cut.
Bash shortcut – Processes
- Ctrl + l Clear the entire screen (like the clear command).
- Ctrl + z Place the currently running process into a suspended background process (and then use fg to restore it).
- Ctrl + c Kill the currently running process by sending the SIGINT signal.
- Ctrl + d Exit the current shell.
Bash shortcut – History
- Ctrl + r Bring up the history search.
- Ctrl + g Exit the history search.
- Ctrl + p See the previous command in the history.
- Ctrl + n See the next command in the history.
These are just a few of the many bash shortcuts that are available. By learning and using these shortcuts, you can save time and be more productive. Do you have a favorite bash shortcut? Let us know in the comments!