Linux Shell Command Line Shortcuts Complete Guide

# The most common way to cancel a command
# Press Ctrl + C sends SIGINT signal, terminating the currently executing command

# Example: while pinging an address, want to stop
ping google.com
# Press Ctrl + C to stop

# Press Ctrl + Z sends SIGTSTP signal, suspending the current command
# After suspension, it can be moved to the background

# View background tasks
jobs

# Resume in foreground
fg

# Resume in background
bg

# Equivalent to typing exit
# Closes the current terminal or logs out the current user

# Sends SIGQUIT signal
# Forcefully terminates current command, cannot be caught

# !! - Execute previous command
!!

# !n - Execute the nth command
!123

# !-n - Execute the nth from last command
!-1

# !string - Execute the most recent command starting with string
!ping

# !$ - Use last argument of previous command
cp file.txt /backup/
cd !$

# !* - Use all arguments of previous command
mkdir newdir
cd !*

# Append & to run command in background
./script.sh &

# Ctrl + Z to suspend current job
# Then bg to continue running in background

# jobs to view background tasks
jobs

# fg to bring to foreground
fg %1

# bg to continue in background
bg %1

# kill to terminate job
kill %1

# Method 1: Ctrl + C
# Directly cancel current line, re-enter

# Method 2: Ctrl + U
# Delete entire line, re-enter

# Method 3: Ctrl + C then re-display
# Sometimes after pasting garbled text, Ctrl+C may not be enough

# Spelling correction
shopt -s cdspell  # Automatically correct cd spelling errors

# Case-insensitive matching
shopt -s nocaseglob  # File name case-insensitive matching

# Add common aliases in ~/.bashrc
alias ll='ls -la'
alias la='ls -A'
alias l='ls -CF'

# Safe delete alias (requires confirmation)
alias rm='rm -i'

# Directory navigation shortcuts
alias ..='cd ..'
alias ...='cd ../..'
alias ....='cd ../../..'

# Quickly return to previous directory
cd -

# Quickly return to home directory
cd ~
cd

# Quickly enter working directory
cd /var/log

# Ctrl + C to terminate
# Ctrl + Z to suspend
# Ctrl + \ to force terminate

# Ctrl + U to delete current line
# Then re-paste

# Ctrl + Z to suspend
# Move to background
# Resume later with fg