Keyboard Shortcuts

A collection of useful bash keyboard shortcuts.

Cursor Movement

Key Combination	Description	Example	Necessary Configuration
`CTRL`+`b`	Move the cursor one character backward.
`CTRL`+`f`	Move the cursor one character forward.
`ALT`+`b`	Move the cursor one word backward.
`ALT`+`f`	Move the cursor one word forward.
`CTRL`+`a`	Move the cursor to the beginning of the line.
`CTRL`+`e`	Move the cursor to the end of the line.
`CTRL`+`l`	Clear the screen.

Key Combination	Description	Example
`ALT`+`.`	Insert the argument of the previous command at the current position	touch /tmp/test.txt ls -al followed by: `ALT`+`.` results in ls -al /tmp/test.txt
`CTRL`+`d`	Cut one character from the current cursor position.
`CTRL`+`w` or `ALT`+`BACKSPACE`	Cut one word from before the current cursor position.
`CTRL`+`u` or `CTRL`+`x` `BACKSPACE`	Cut the characters from before the current cursor position to the beginning of the line.
`CTRL`+`k`	Cut everything from the current cursor position to the end of the line.
`ALT`+`d`	Cut one word from the current cursor position to the next word boundary.
`ALT`+`\`	Cut all tabs and spaces around the current cursor position.
`CTRL`+`y`	Insert the characters last cut at the current cursor position.
`CTRL`+`t`	Transpose the character at the current cursor position with the one before.
`ALT`+`t`	Transpose the word at the current cursor position with the one before.
`ALT`+`u`	Transform the word starting at the current cursor position into all upper case characters.
`ALT`+`l`	Transform the word starting at the current cursor position into all lower case characters.
`ALT`+`c`	Capitalize the word starting at the current cursor position.

Key Combination	Description	Example	Necessary Configuration
`CTRL`+`p` or `↑`	Previous command in the command history.
`CTRL`+`n` or `↓`	Next command in the command history.
`CTRL`+`r`	Reverse search the command history.
`CTRL`+`s`	Forward search the command history.
`ALT`+`<`	Jump to the beginning of the command history.
`ALT`+`>`	Jump to the end of the command history.

Key Combination	Description	Example	Necessary Configuration
`CTRL`+`(`	Start macro recording.
`CTRL`+`)`	Stop macro recording.
`CTRL`+`e`	Execute the last recorded macro.

Key Combination	Description	Example	Necessary Configuration
`CTRL`+`x` `CTRL`+`r`	Reread the inputrc configuration file.
`CTRL`+`_`	Undo changes to the line.
`ALT`+`&`	Expand the tilde (`~`) sign in the current line.
`CTRL`+`@`	Set a mark at the current cursor position.
`CTRL`+`x` `CTRL`+`x`	Switch from the current cursor position to the one where last mark was set.
`CTRL`+`]` `char`	From the current cursor position forward search for `char`.
`CTRL`+`ALT`+`]` `char`	From the current cursor position backward search for `char`.
`ALT`+`#`	Insert a comment (`#`) sign at the beginning of the current line.