Linux Bash Tips and Tricks pt1

Bash is a powerful command-line shell that can be used to perform a wide range of tasks, from managing files and directories to automating system administration. By learning a few simple tips and tricks, you can significantly boost your productivity and efficiency when using Bash.

Here are a few of my favorite Bash tips and tricks, in a randomized order:

• Use Ctrl+R to search your command history as you type. This is a great way to quickly find and reuse previous commands.

• Use shopt -s cdspell to automatically fix your cd folder spelling mistakes. This can save you a lot of time and frustration, especially if you are working with directories with long or complex names.

• Use !!:n to select the nth argument of the last command, and !$ to select the last argument. For example, ls file1 file2 file3; cat !!:1-2 will show all files and then cat only the first two files.

• Input from the command line as if it were a file by replacing command < file.in with command <<< "some input text". This can be useful for piping input into commands or for providing input to scripts.

• Use the ^ (caret) operator to replace characters from the last command. For example, ls docs; ^docs^web is equal to ls web. The second argument can be empty.

• Use !! to expand to the last typed command. This is useful for root commands that require sudo privileges. For example, if you type cat /etc/... and get a permission denied error, you can simply type sudo !! to retry the command with sudo privileges.

• Use traps for cleaning up Bash scripts on exit. This is especially important for scripts that perform destructive operations, such as deleting files or modifying system settings.

• Use nohup ./long_script & to leave stuff running in the background even if you logout. This is useful for long-running tasks such as backups or data processing jobs.

• Use shopt -s histverify histreedit in your ~/.bashrc to double-check all expansions before submitting a command. This can help to prevent errors from typos or unexpected expansions.

• Use Esc-. to fetch the last parameter of the previous command. This can be useful for quickly reusing parameters in complex commands.

• Use Ctrl+X Ctrl+E to open an editor to work with long or complex command lines. This can be useful for debugging commands or for testing different options.