2.11 Command-Line Editing

As you play with the shell, notice that you can edit the command line using the left and right arrow keys, as well as page through previous commands using the up and down arrows. This is standard on most Linux systems.

However, it’s a good idea to forget about the arrow keys and use control key combinations instead. If you learn the ones listed in Table 2-2, you’ll find that you’re better able to enter text in the many Unix programs that use these standard keystrokes.

Table 2-2: Command-Line Keystrokes

Keystroke	Action
CTRL-B	Move the cursor left
CTRL-F	Move the cursor right
CTRL-P	View the previous command (or move the cursor up)
CTRL-N	View the next command (or move the cursor down)
CTRL-A	Move the cursor to the beginning of the line
CTRL-E	Move the cursor to the end of the line
CTRL-W	Erase the preceding word
CTRL-U	Erase from cursor to beginning of line
CTRL-K	Erase from cursor to end of line
CTRL-Y	Paste erased text (for example, from CTRL-U)