Keyboard Shortcuts in Linux

**Solomon** · 03-03-2009

Virtual terminals :

Code:

Ctrl + Alt + F1

Functions :
Switch to the first virtual terminal. In Linux, you can have several virtual terminals at the same time. The default is 6.

Code:

Ctrl + Alt + Fn

Functions :
Switch to the nth virtual terminal. Because the number of virtual terminals is 6 by default, n = 1...6.

Code:

tty

Functions :
Typing the tty command tells you what virtual terminal you're currently working in.

Code:

Ctrl + Alt + F7

Functions :
Switch to the GUI. If you have X Window System running, it runs in the seventh virtual terminal by default. If X isn't running, this terminal is empty.

**Solomon** · 03-03-2009

X Window System :

Code:

Ctrl + Alt + +

Functions :
Switch to the next resolution in the X Window System. This works if you've configured more than one resolution for your X server. Note that you must use the + in your numpad.

Code:

Ctrl + Alt + -

Functions :
Switch to the previous X resolution. Use the - in your numpad.

Code:

MiddleMouseButton

Functions :
Paste the highlighted text. You can highlight the text with your left mouse button (or with some other highlighting method, depending on the application you're using), and then press the middle mouse button to paste. This is the traditional way of copying and pasting in the X Window System, but it may not work in some X applications.
If you have a two-button mouse, pressing both of the buttons at the same time has the same effect as pressing the middle one. If it doesn't, you must enable 3-mouse-button emulation.
This works also in text terminals if you enable the gpm service.

Code:

Ctrl + Alt + Backspace

Functions :
Kill the X server. Use this if X crashes and you can't exit it normally. If you've configured your X Window System to start automatically at bootup, this restarts the server and throws you back to the graphical login screen.

**Solomon** · 03-03-2009

Command line - input :

Code:

Home or Ctrl + a

Functions :
Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line.

Code:

End or Ctrl + e

Functions :
Move the cursor to the end of the current line.

Code:

Alt + b

Functions :
Move the cursor to the beginning of the current or previous word. Note that while this works in virtual terminals, it may not work in all graphical terminal emulators, because many graphical applications already use this as a menu shortcut by default.

Code:

Alt + f

Functions :
Move the cursor to the end of the next word. Again, like with all shortcuts that use Alt as the modifier, this may not work in all graphical terminal emulators.

Code:

Tab

Functions :
Autocomplete commands and file names. Type the first letter(s) of a command, directory or file name, press Tab and the rest is completed automatically! If there are more commands starting with the same letters, the shell completes as much as it can and beeps. If you then press Tab again, it shows you all the alternatives.
This shortcut is really helpful and saves a lot of typing! It even works at the lilo prompt and in some X applications.

Code:

Ctrl + u

Functions :
Erase the current line.

Code:

Ctrl + k

Functions :
Delete the line from the position of the cursor to the end of the line.

Code:

Ctrl + w

Functions :
Delete the word before the cursor.

**Solomon** · 03-03-2009

Command line - output :

Code:

Shift + PageUp

Functions :
Scroll terminal output up.

Code:

Shift + PageDown

Functions :
Scroll terminal output down.

Code:

clear

Functions :
The clear command clears all previously executed commands and their output from the current terminal.

Code:

Ctrl + l

Functions :
Does exactly the same as typing the clear command.

Code:

reset

Functions :
If you mess up your terminal, use the reset command. For example, if you try to cat a binary file, the terminal starts showing weird characters. Note that you may not be able to see the command when you're typing it.

**Solomon** · 03-03-2009

Command line - history :

Code:

history

Functions :
When you type the history command, you'll see a list of the commands you executed previously.

Code:

ArrowUp or Ctrl + p

Functions :
Scroll up in the history and edit the previously executed commands. To execute them, press Enter like you normally do.

Code:

ArrowDown or Ctrl + n

Functions :
Scroll down in the history and edit the next commands.

Code:

Ctrl + r

Functions :
Find the last command that contained the letters you're typing. For example, if you want to find out the last action you did to a file called "file42.txt", you'll press Ctrl + r and start typing the file name. Or, if you want to find out the last parameters you gave to the "cp" command, you'll press Ctrl + r and type in "cp".

**Solomon** · 03-03-2009

Command line - miscellaneous :

Code:

Ctrl + c

Functions :
Kill the current process.

Code:

Ctrl + z

Functions :
Send the current process to background. This is useful if you have a program running, and you need the terminal for awhile but don't want to exit the program completely. Then just send it to background with Ctrl+z, do whatever you want, and type the command fg to get the process back.

Code:

Ctrl + d

Functions :
Log out from the current terminal. If you use this in a terminal emulator under X, this usually shuts down the terminal emulator after logging you out.

Code:

Ctrl + Alt + Del

Functions :
Reboot the system. You can change this behavior by editing /etc/inittab if you want the system to shut down instead of rebooting.

Dr. V · 03-03-2009

Some Application Shortcuts :

Konqueror :

CTRL+ + or - (Plus (+) or Minus (-) (CTRL+-) Increase or Dectease font size
F6 - open location
ALT+Up - go up a directory
CTRL+U - view source
CTRL+D - Duplicate window
CTRL+Shift F - Full screen mode
CTRL+Shift N - New tab
CTRL+N - New window
CTRL+O - Open location

Firefox :

CTRL+D
CTRL+Enter
F11 - Fullscreen mode, then F11 to return to windowed
ctrl++ increase text size
CTRL+N - New firefox window
CTRL+T - New tab
F5 - refresh web page
CTRL+F - Find
CTRL+l - Type url

Openoffice.org :

CTRL+F1 - Show note
Shift F3 - duplicate element
F5 - Toggle navigator
Shift+F5 - Trace dependants
CTRL+F5 - Trace precedents
F7 - Spellcheck
CTRL+F7 - Thesaurus-apps
CTRL+Shift F8 - fill text to frame
F9 - Update all fields
F9 - Recalculete formulas
F9 - Start slide show
F11 - Show style window
Shift F11 - create new style
F12 - Outline view