Linux Shortcuts

Here are a few keyboard shortcuts you can use to perform common tasks quickly. Many more are available in addition to what is listed here. For more command line and keyboard shortcuts.

• [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Backspace] = kills your current X session. Kills your graphical desktop session and returns you to the login screen. Use this if the normal exit procedure does not work.
• [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Delete] = shutdown and reboots your Red Hat Linux system. Shuts down your current session and reboots the OS. Use only when the normal shutdown procedure does not work.
• [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Fn] = switches screens. [Ctrl]+[Alt] + one of the function keys displays an available screen. By default, [F1] through [F6] are shell prompt screens and [F7] is the graphical desktop screen.
• [Alt] + [Tab] = switches tasks in a graphical desktop environment. If you have more than one application open at a time, you can use [Alt] + [Tab] to switch among open tasks and applications.
• [Ctrl] + [a] = moves cursor to the beginning of a line. This works in most text editors and in the URL field in Mozilla.
• [Ctrl] + [d] = logout of (and close) shell prompt. Use this quick shortcut instead of typing exit or logout.
• [Ctrl] + [e] = moves cursor to end of a line. This works in most text editors and in the URL field in Mozilla.
• [Ctrl] + [l] = clears the terminal. This shortcut does the same thing as typing clear at a command line.
• [Ctrl] + [u] = clears the current line. If you are working in a terminal, use this shortcut to clear the current line from the cursor all the way to the beginning of the line.
• [Middle Mouse Button] = pastes highlighted text. Use the left mouse button to highlight the text. Point the cursor to the spot where you want it pasted. Click the middle mouse button to paste it. In a two mouse system, if you configured your mouse to emulate a third mouse button, you can click both the left and right mouse buttons simultaneously to perform a paste.
• [Tab] = command autocomplete. Use this command when using a shell prompt. Type the first few characters of a command or filename and then press the [Tab] key. It will automatically complete the command or show all commands that match the characters you typed.
• [Up] and [Down] Arrow = shows command history. When using a shell prompt, press the [up] or [down] arrow to scroll through a history of commands you have typed from the current directory. When you see the command you want to use, press [Enter].
• clear = clears the shell prompt screen. Type this command to clear all visible data from the shell prompt screen.
• exit = logout. Type this at a shell prompt to logout of the current user or root account.
• history = shows history of commands. Type this at a shell prompt to see a numbered list of the previous 1000 commands you typed. To display a shorter list of previously used commands, type history followed by a space and a number. For example, history 20.
• reset = refreshes the shell prompt screen. Type this at a shell prompt to refresh the screen if characters are unclear or appear corrupt.