Linux Keyboard Shortcuts

Linux Keyboard Shortcuts

* Ctl + Alt + Backspace

You would use this shortcut when a programing is hanging and you can not use your desktop, as this will log you out of X and take you back to the login screen

* Alt + Tab

You can use this command to cycle your open windows in almost any desktop environment, including M$Windows.

* Ctrl + Alt + F*

You will probably need to use these short cuts often. It switches to various virtual terminals. The default terminal you're working in is 6. So you can switch to another terminal by holding down Ctrl + Alt and hitting F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F7, etc.

This is really good for debugging problems with the desktop or killing frozen applications when you don't want to kill X completely.

* Ctrl + c via terminal

When you have a process running in a terminal window (say you're following a process with the tail + f command), you can kill that process with the Ctrl + c combination.

* Ctrl + z via terminal

This will zombie an application. If you have a process running in a terminal and you want the terminal back but don't want to kill the application, you can hit Ctrl + z to send the process to the background. To get the process back, type fg.

* Ctrl + r via terminal

This will allow you to search previous entered commands on the command line. Much like history but not.

* Ctrl+Alt+l

Very useful, if you work with co-workers, as mine will fuck with your computer any time you get up and walk away. This command will lock the desktop.

* Ctrl+z and Ctrl+shift+z

The very useful undo and redo command. If you type, you will use this one.