In this article, we will introduce some of the most useful and common keyboard shortcuts for Linux, from A to Z. We will also provide a PDF file that you can download and print for your reference. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, you will find some shortcuts that you may not know or have forgotten.
Basic Linux Shortcuts (A to Z)
These are some of the basic shortcuts that you can use in any Linux terminal or shell. They are mostly related to editing, navigating, and managing your commands and output.
| Shortcuts | Uses of Shortcut keys |
| Tab | This is the Linux shortcut you cannot live without. It will either automatically complete what you were typing or show all the possible results for you. |
| Ctrl + C | These are the keys you should press in order to break out of a command or process on a terminal. This will stop (terminate) a running program immediately. |
| Ctrl + Z | This shortcut will suspend a running program and gives you control of the shell. You can see the stopped program in background jobs and even resume to run it using the fg command. |
| Ctrl + D | This keyboard shortcut will log you out of the current terminal. If you are using an SSH connection, it will be closed. If you are using a terminal directly, the application will be closed immediately. Consider it equivalent to the ‘exit’ command. |
| Ctrl + L | How do you clear your terminal screen? I guess using the clear command. Instead of writing C-L-E-A-R, you can simply use Ctrl+L to clear the terminal. |
| Ctrl + A | This shortcut will move the cursor to the beginning of the line. Suppose you typed a long command or path in the terminal and you want to go to the beginning of it, using the arrow key to move the cursor will take plenty of time. |
| Ctrl + E | This shortcut will move the cursor to the end of the line. Suppose you want to edit something at the end of a long command or path in the terminal, using the arrow key to move the cursor will take plenty of time. |
| Ctrl + U | This shortcut will delete everything from the cursor to the beginning of the line. Suppose you typed a wrong command or path in the terminal and you want to delete it quickly, this shortcut will help you. |
| Ctrl + K | This shortcut will delete everything from the cursor to the end of the line. Suppose you typed a long command or path in the terminal and you want to delete some part of it from the end, this shortcut will help you. |
| Ctrl + W | This shortcut will delete the word before the cursor. Suppose you typed a wrong word in the terminal and you want to delete it quickly, this shortcut will help you. |
| Ctrl + Y | This shortcut will paste the text that was deleted by the previous shortcut. Suppose you deleted something by mistake and you want to restore it, this shortcut will help you. |
| Ctrl + R | This shortcut will let you search through the previous commands that you have used in the terminal. Suppose you want to reuse a command that you have typed before, this shortcut will help you find it quickly. |
| Ctrl + T | This shortcut will swap the last two characters before the cursor. Suppose you typed a command or path in the terminal and you made a typo, this shortcut will help you correct it quickly. |
| Ctrl + S | This shortcut will stop the output to the screen. Suppose you are running a command that produces a lot of output and you want to pause it, this shortcut will help you. |
| Ctrl + Q | This shortcut will resume the output to the screen. Suppose you have paused the output using the previous shortcut and you want to resume it, this shortcut will help you. |
| Ctrl + H | This shortcut will delete the character before the cursor. It is equivalent to the backspace key. |
| Ctrl + J | This shortcut will execute the command. It is equivalent to the enter key. |
| Ctrl + M | This shortcut will also execute the command. It is another equivalent to the enter key. |
| Ctrl + N | This shortcut will show the next command in the history. Suppose you want to browse through the previous commands that you have used in the terminal, this shortcut will help you. |
| Ctrl + P | This shortcut will show the previous command in the history. Suppose you want to browse through the previous commands that you have used in the terminal, this shortcut will help you. |
Linux Logo Key Shortcuts
The Linux logo key, also known as the Super key, is located on the bottom left of your keyboard, next to the Ctrl key. It can be used to perform various tasks related to the Linux desktop environment, such as opening the menu, switching between workspaces, launching applications, and more. Here are some of the most useful Super key shortcuts:
| Shortcuts | Uses of Shortcut keys |
| Super | Open or close the main menu. |
| Super + A | Show all applications. |
| Super + D | Show or hide the desktop. |
| Super + E | Launch the file manager. |
| Super + L | Lock the screen. |
| Super + M | Toggle the notification area. |
| Super + S | Show the overview of workspaces. |
| Super + T | Launch the terminal. |
| Super + Tab | Switch between applications. |
| Super + Esc | Switch between applications in reverse order. |
| Super + Space | Switch between input sources. |
| Super + Left arrow | Tile the current window to the left. |
| Super + Right arrow | Tile the current window to the right. |
| Super + Up arrow | Maximize the current window. |
| Super + Down arrow | Restore or minimize the current window. |
| Super + Page Up | Move the current window to the upper workspace. |
| Super + Page Down | Move the current window to the lower workspace. |
| Super + 1 to 9 | Launch or switch to the application at the given position in the dock. |
| Super + H | Hide the current window. |
| Super + Q | Close the current window. |
| Super + P | Switch between display modes. |
| Super + R | Enter or exit the resize mode for the current window. |
| Super + F | Enter or exit the full-screen mode for the current window. |
| Super + V | Enter or exit the overview mode for the current window. |
| Super + B | Show or hide the dock. |
| Super + N | Create a new document or folder in the file manager. |
| Super + F1 | Show the help page. |
| Super + F2 | Rename the selected item in the file manager. |
| Super + F10 | Open the context menu for the current window or item. |
| Super + Print | Take a screenshot of the whole screen. |
| Super + Shift + Print | Take a screenshot of the current window. |
| Super + Ctrl + Print | Take a screenshot of a selected area. |
Linux Terminal Keyboard Shortcuts
Linux terminal, also known as the command line or the shell, is a powerful tool that lets you perform various tasks using commands. If you use the terminal frequently, you may want to learn some of the keyboard shortcuts that can help you navigate and control the terminal better. Here are some of the most useful terminal shortcuts:
| Shortcuts | Uses of Shortcut keys |
| Shift + Ctrl + T | Open a new tab in the terminal. |
| Shift + Ctrl + W | Close the current tab in the terminal. |
| Shift + Ctrl + Q | Quit the terminal. |
| Shift + Ctrl + C | Copy the selected text in the terminal. |
| Shift + Ctrl + V | Paste the copied text in the terminal. |
| Shift + Ctrl + N | Open a new terminal window. |
| Shift + Ctrl + X | Maximize the terminal window. |
| Shift + Ctrl + F | Search for text in the terminal. |
| Shift + Ctrl + H | Show the terminal history. |
| Shift + Ctrl + P | Show the terminal preferences. |
| Shift + Ctrl + Plus (+) | Increase the font size in the terminal. |
| Shift + Ctrl + Minus (-) | Decrease the font size in the terminal. |
| Shift + Ctrl + Zero (0) | Reset the font size in the terminal. |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch to the next tab in the terminal. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Switch to the previous tab in the terminal. |
| Ctrl + Page Up | Switch to the next tab in the terminal. |
| Ctrl + Page Down | Switch to the previous tab in the terminal. |
| Alt + 1 to 9 | Switch to the tab at the given position in the terminal. |
| Alt + F | Open the File menu in the terminal. |
| Alt + E | Open the Edit menu in the terminal. |
| Alt + V | Open the View menu in the terminal. |
| Alt + S | Open the Search menu in the terminal. |
| Alt + T | Open the Terminal menu in the terminal. |
| Alt + H | Open the Help menu in the terminal. |
| Alt | ... |
Source:
(1) 13 Linux Terminal Shortcuts Every Power Linux User Must Know. https://linuxhandbook.com/linux-shortcuts/.
(2) Linux Commands Cheat Sheet: Beginner to Advanced - GeeksforGeeks. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/linux-commands-cheat-sheet/.
(3) Useful Linux Terminal Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet - UbuntuMint. https://www.ubuntumint.com/linux-terminal-keyboard-shortcuts/.
(4) UNIX and Linux Keyboard Shortcuts - Computer Hope. https://www.computerhope.com/ushort.htm.