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🐧 Linux Keyboard Shortcuts

Master your Linux system with these essential shortcuts

💻 Terminal Shortcuts

Ctrl + Alt + T
Open a new terminal window
Ctrl + L
Clear the terminal screen (same as 'clear' command)
Ctrl + C
Interrupt/kill the current running process
Ctrl + Z
Suspend current process (send to background)
Ctrl + D
Log out / End of file (EOF) signal
Tab
Auto-complete commands, filenames, and paths
↑
Navigate to previous command in history
Ctrl + R
Reverse search through command history

✂️ Text Editing in Terminal

Ctrl + A
Move cursor to beginning of line
Ctrl + E
Move cursor to end of line
Ctrl + U
Cut text from cursor to beginning of line
Ctrl + K
Cut text from cursor to end of line
Ctrl + Y
Paste text that was cut
Ctrl + W
Delete word before cursor

🪟 Window Management (GNOME/KDE)

Super
Open Activities overview / Application menu
Alt + Tab
Switch between open applications
Alt + F4
Close current window
Super + ↑
Maximize current window
Super + ↓
Restore/unmaximize window
Super + ←
Snap window to left half of screen
Super + →
Snap window to right half of screen
Ctrl + Alt + ↑/↓
Switch between workspaces

📁 File Manager

Super + E
Open file manager
Alt + Home
Go to home directory
Alt + ←
Navigate back
Alt + →
Navigate forward
Ctrl + Shift + N
Create new folder
Delete
Move selected item to trash
Shift + Delete
Permanently delete (bypass trash)
Ctrl + H
Show/hide hidden files

🔧 System Controls

Super + L
Lock the screen
Ctrl + Alt + Delete
Show logout/power menu
PrtSc
Take screenshot of entire screen
Alt + PrtSc
Take screenshot of current window
Shift + PrtSc
Take screenshot of selected area
Alt + F2
Open run command dialog

📝 Text Editor (vim/nano basics)

i
VIM: Enter insert mode
Esc
VIM: Return to normal mode
:wq
VIM: Save and quit
:q!
VIM: Quit without saving
Ctrl + O
NANO: Save file (WriteOut)
Ctrl + X
NANO: Exit editor

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