Keyboard shortcuts in Linux: the ultimate guide to going faster

Master the keyboard shortcuts In Linux, it's one of those skills that makes the difference between working in fits and starts and flowing seamlessly with the system. If you spend many hours in front of the computer, every well-learned key combination It saves you seconds that, at the end of the day, add up to minutes — and by the end of the week, hours.

In this article, you'll find a comprehensive collection of desktop and terminal shortcuts that work in the most popular environments (with a special focus on GNOME/Ubuntu), along with common variations and useful nuances. The goal is to help you move seamlessly between windows, desktops, and applications, and to make your console experience lightning-fast. move the cursor, edit, copy/paste, manage processes, search history, and much moreYou'll also see how to create custom shortcuts and some Tricks accessibility.

Essential desktop shortcuts (GNOME/Ubuntu)

If you could only memorize a handful, let it be these. They allow you to open apps, switching tasks and controlling the session without lifting your hand from the keyboard, gaining a brutal agility in everyday life.

• Super: Opens the Activities view (launcher and running windows). It's useful for finding apps, viewing desktops, and organizing everything at a glance. On many keyboards, Super is the key with the logo of Windows.
• Ctrl+Alt+T: Opens a new terminal in most GNOME-based distributions. It's probably the most frequently cited shortcut when a tutorial says "open the terminal". It works on Ubuntu out of the box..
• Super+L o Ctrl+Alt+L: Locks your screen instantly. It's the fastest way to protect your session when you leave your desk. without looking for the lock menu.
• Super+D o Ctrl+Super+D: Shows the desktop by hiding all windows; if you press it again, it restores the previous state. Perfect for "cleaning" and viewing Desktop files.
• Super+A: Opens the grid of installed applications (apps menu). Allows you to quickly view and search without going to the dots icon. shortening by several clicks.
• Alt+Tab o Super+TabSwitch between open applications in order. Shift reverse the direction: Alt+Shift+Tab o Super+Shift+Tab. The classic app switcher.
• Super+Flecha (Left/Right/Up/Down): adjusts windows (left/right half), maximizes (up) or restores/minimizes (down). Mosaic-style window lace.
• Super+M o Super+V: Shows/hides the notifications and calendar area. Useful for checking notices without a mouse.
• Ctrl+Alt+Flecha (Up/Down): Switch between workspaces. It goes up and down as if they were virtual "floors"..
• Ctrl+Alt+Tab: alternates focus between system elements (top bar, notification panel, etc.), not only between windows.
• Alt+F1: opens the search box within the applications menu according to settings. Immediate access to the search.
• Alt+F2: opens the "Run a command" dialog box. It's ideal for issuing quick commands without opening a full terminal. gaining valuable seconds.
• Ctrl+Super+Flecha (Up/Down): Maximizes or minimizes the active window in some GNOME configurations. A very practical option if you have it available..
• Alt+F4: closes the current window (widely supported shortcut). In some apps you can also use Ctrl+Q.
• Clic con botón central: copy/paste the selection in X11. If you select text and click with the wheel, you paste it where there is focus. The classic Linux "primary selection".
• Ctrl+Alt+SuprIn standard GNOME, it opens shutdown/logout options; in Ubuntu, it often logs you out directly. Behavior subject to distribution.

Keep in mind that, depending on your GNOME version or Linux distribution, some combinations may vary or not be enabled by default. If something isn't working, try searching for it in Settings or creating a custom shortcut; sometimes a global environment or shortcut He steps on another specific one.

Detailed desktop and window management

If you multitask, virtual desktops and window switching are invaluable. These shortcuts are designed to minimize clicks. especially when you chain many actions together.

• Ctrl+Alt+Flecha Arriba/Abajo: moving between desktops (workspaces) in GNOME and derivatives.
• Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Flecha Arriba/Abajo: rearrange or move the focus/position between spaces according to the configuration. In some setups, this variant repositions the "priority" of desktops to have the ones you use most often more readily available.
• Alt+F7Move the window using the keyboard. Ideal if the mouse is unresponsive or disconnected. or if a window goes "off-screen".
• Alt+F8Resize the window using arrows. Full control of the size without touching the mouse. very useful in portable.

Also take advantage of the adjustment gestures (Super+Flecha) to "anchor" to half the screen and compare documents or code without having to manually adjust each window; you'll notice the fluency in preparing workspaces.

Terminal: Move with precision (cursor and navigation)

The Linux console is based on readlines. This means you can navigate through text like in a text editor, with powerful and consistent shortcuts. Learn these and you will edit commands long without pain.

• Ctrl+A: go to the beginning of the line.
• Ctrl+E: go to the end of the line.
• Ctrl+B o Flecha Izquierda: backspace one character.
• Ctrl+F: advance a character.
• Alt+B o Ctrl+Flecha Izquierda: go back one word.
• Alt+F o Ctrl+Flecha Derecha: move to the beginning of the next word.

These navigation shortcuts save you from having to use the mouse to reposition the cursor, something that, when the line is long, It makes a noticeable difference in speed..

Terminal: copy, cut, paste, and yank

The terminal doesn't always use the same shortcuts as graphical applications for copy/paste. In most current emulators, however, it's standardized with the key Shift and CtrlIf your system is not copying correctly, check clipboard problems.

• Ctrl+Shift+C: copy the selection to clipboard.
• Ctrl+Shift+V: paste from clipboard.
• Ctrl+U: cut from the cursor to the beginning of the line.
• Ctrl+K: cut from the cursor to the end of the line.
• Ctrl+W: cut the word before the cursor.
• Alt+D o Esc+D: cut the word after the cursor.
• Ctrl+Y: paste the last cut (yank). Restore what you removed with U/K/W/D.
• Alt+Y: glue the second to last cut fragment (break the "ring" of yanks).

Remember that X11 has "primary selection": select text and paste it with a middle click. It's very fast for short pieces and is independent of the "normal" clipboard. Therefore, it doesn't overwrite what you copied with Ctrl+C.

Terminal: delete and clean

Besides cutting, there are "destructive" shortcuts for deleting characters or words without saving the snippet to the Yanks ring. Use them when don't try to recover what's been deleted.

• Ctrl+H o Retroceso: delete a character (backspace).
• Ctrl+D o Supr: delete the character under the cursor. If the line is empty, close the terminal session (equivalent to exit).
• Ctrl+W: delete the word before the cursor.
• Alt+D o Esc+D: delete the word after the cursor.
• Ctrl+U: delete from the cursor to the beginning of the line.
• Ctrl+K: delete from the cursor to the end of the line.
• Ctrl+L: clean the screen (equivalent to clear), without losing the scroll history.

When you're debugging and the output becomes unmanageable, Ctrl+L It gives you a clean canvas in an instant, while his brother "exit" (Ctrl+D (with empty line) cuts to the chase and closes the current shell.

Terminal: Advanced Text Editing

Editing without deleting is another key skill. Transposing, changing case, or auto-completing paths saves a lot of time. especially in long commands.

• Ctrl+T: swap the two characters before the cursor.
• Esc+T o Alt+T: swap the two previous words.
• Esc+U o Alt+U: convert to CAPITAL LETTERS until the end of the word or until the next space (depending on the variant).
• Esc+L o Alt+L: convert to lowercase until the end of the word or until the next space.
• Alt+C: capitalize the current letter and place the cursor at the end of the word.
• TAB o Alt+I: autocomplete commands and paths; double-clicked displays options when there are multiple possibilities. He's the king of speed at the terminal.

Autocomplete not only saves you from typing: it reduces typos and reveals paths or subcommands you may have forgotten. improving your muscle memory with There.

Command history and search

Everything you write stays in ~/.bash_history (or other history depending on your shell). Knowing how to navigate it means retrieving complex commands in seconds. without rewriting them by hand.

• Ctrl+P o Flecha Arriba: previous command; repeat to go further back.
• Ctrl+N o Flecha Abajo: next command (if you have navigated backwards).
• Alt+.: inserts the last word of the last executed command.
• Alt+<: jumps to the first command in the history.
• Alt+>: jumps to the last command in the history.
• Ctrl+R: incremental search in history; type part of the command to find matches and press Ctrl+R again to browse more results.
• Alt+P: non-incremental search alternative.
• Enter o Ctrl+O: executes the match found in Ctrl+R.
• Ctrl+J: places the match on the line without executing it (to edit it beforehand).
• Ctrl+G: aborts the history search. Emergency exit.

Develop the habit of searching with Ctrl+R Before typing again; not only do you save time, but you also reduce errors in long commands or those with complex options. especially in pipelines.

Processes and jobs at the terminal

The shell can run processes in the foreground and background. Knowing basic job control shortcuts will allow you to pause, kill, and resume tasks like a true command line pro.

• Ctrl+C: send SIGINT to the foreground process (interrupts/terminates).
• Ctrl+Z: pauses and sends the task to the background (suspends). To resume, use fg o bg after consulting jobs.
• Ctrl+D: closes the current terminal session if there is no text on the line (equivalent to exit), useful for terminating nested shells.

Remember: jobs list of jobs, fg %n bring one to the front and bg %n It leaves it running in the background. Mastering this cycle gives you a lot. flexibility in managing long tasks.

Accessibility, tabs, and navigation in the terminal

When the output is long or the font size is awkward, these shortcuts make your life easier. There are also quick access options for working with tabs and full screen. without losing focus.

• Ctrl+Shift++: increase font size.
• Ctrl+Shift+-: decrease font size.
• Ctrl+Shift+Inicio/Fin: jump to the beginning/end of the session buffer.
• Ctrl+Shift+Repág/AvPág: scroll one page up/down.
• Ctrl+Shift+Flecha Arriba/Abajo: move one line up/down.
• Ctrl+Shift+T: Open a new tab in the terminal emulator.
• Ctrl+Shift+Flecha Izquierda/Derecha: switch between tabs.
• Ctrl+Shift+W: close current tab.
• F11: full screen mode for the terminal. More space to read logs.
• Ctrl+S: "freezes" the terminal's exit (blocks the flow). Very useful for reading on the fly.
• Ctrl+Q: resumes the exit (unlocks what you stopped with Ctrl+S).

If you work with verbose installations or outputs, stop with Ctrl+S to read a detail and continue with Ctrl+Q It's one of those customs that They save you from losing key information.

Opening and closing the terminal (variations)

There's more than one shortcut to launch the terminal, and it can vary depending on the environment or emulator. However, these are the most common and will cover you in the vast majority of cases. especially in Ubuntu.

• Ctrl+Alt+T: opens a new terminal (standard in GNOME/Ubuntu).
• Ctrl+T: in some environments it is used to open a terminal (or a new tab in the current emulator). May vary by configuration.
• Ctrl+D: closes the session of the active terminal (equivalent to exit when the line is empty).

If your distro doesn't respond to Ctrl+Alt+TCheck your system preferences under Keyboard and, if necessary, create a custom shortcut that launches your favorite emulator (for example, gnome-terminal, konsole o tilix). In seconds you'll have it just as accessible.

Other useful and "universal" desktop shortcuts

Outside of the terminal, there are a bunch of combinations that boost productivity in apps like browsers, editors, or the system itself. Some are global, and others depend on the app, so consider these as... General reference subject to variations.

• F1: open contextual help.
• F2: search for text in some apps.
• F3/Shift+F3: next/previous match in searches.
• F5: Reload/Update (browser and other apps).
• F7: spell checker in certain text applications.
• F8: select element (according to app).
• Ctrl+A: select all.
• Ctrl+B/Ctrl+I/Ctrl+U: bold/italic/underline in editors.
• Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V/Ctrl+X: copy/paste/cut in a graphical environment.
• Ctrl+F: search within documents or pages.
• Ctrl+G: go to the current date in some calendars.
• Ctrl+L: attach file in email clients (depends on the program).
• Ctrl+M: compose a new email (in certain apps). Typical shortcut in email clients.
• Ctrl+P: print.
• Ctrl+R: mark as unread in some clients; in other apps, reload or reply (contextual).
• Alt+S: send in email clients.
• Ctrl+S: keep.
• Ctrl+Y/Ctrl+Z: redo/undo.
• Ctrl+Shift+A: create event in compatible calendars.
• Ctrl+Shift+P/Ctrl+Shift+R: new message or reminder in some apps.
• Ctrl+Tab: move to the next browser tab; Ctrl+Shift+Tab for the previous one.
• Alt+Enter: View properties/details of the selected item.
• Alt+Flecha Arriba/Abajo: in certain contexts, control zoom or navigation (depends on the app). This may differ from the standard zoom using Ctrl+Plus/Minus.
• Alt+F4: close active window.
• Supr: delete selected item.
• Ctrl+Shift+T: create a new task in some applications; in browsers it usually reopens the last closed tab (important difference).
• TAB/Shift+TAB: move forward/backward between controls.
• Ctrl+Flecha Arriba/Abajo: select/open items above/below in certain listings.
• Ctrl+Shift+Flecha Derecha/Izquierda: move by words in some editors (or select by words, depending on the context).
• Super+Espacio: change the input method (keyboards of different languages). Very comfortable in multilingual environments.

As you can see, there are slight discrepancies depending on the program. That's why it's worthwhile to learn the shortcuts for your key apps (browser, editor, email client, screen recorder, etc.), such as the Slack keyboard shortcuts, in addition to those of the system and the terminal.

Create custom shortcuts in Ubuntu/GNOME

When a shortcut doesn't exist or you want to adapt one to your workflow, you can define it in seconds from the GNOME panel. This way, your system adapts to you. not the other way around.

1. Open Settings → Keyboard and check the available shortcuts.
2. Scroll to the bottom and enter "Custom Shortcuts".
3. Create a new one, specifying: an identifiable name, the command to execute (for example, gnome-terminal) and the desired key combination.
4. Avoid conflicts: if the shortcut doesn't work, another global one may be "overtaking" it. Change it or reassign it.

If you work without a mouse, it's worth taking a look at the "Keyboard Navigation" section of your environment; there are shortcuts for moving the focus, activating menus, and navigating interfaces using only keys. greatly improving accessibility.

Practical tips and tricks

To truly "live" at the keyboard requires practice, yes, but also some good habits. Here are some ideas to make the transition quick and effective. without getting lost in the attempt.

• Add shortcuts to your daily routine gradually (in blocks: desktop, then terminal, etc.).
• Usa TAB At its maximum: auto-complete routes and options, and discover flags you didn't remember.
• Lock the terminal with Ctrl+S to read; Ctrl+Q to continue. A miracle cure for long trips.
• If you're studying for LPIC-1 certifications or training in shell scripting, internalizing these shortcuts will make you faster and more accurate when writing and debugging. which is ultimately what is evaluated in the real world.

Learn shortcuts for your favorite tools (for example, a screen recorder like Kazam or your text/code editor). With two or three well-chosen shortcuts, your productivity skyrockets.

All of the above may seem like a lot, but it's a matter of practice: start with desktop shortcuts (Super, Alt+Tab, Super+Arrows, lock, and show desktop), continue with the basics of the terminal (moving the cursor, cut/paste, clear and search the history), and finish with process management and navigation. In a few weeks, you'll notice that you no longer "think" about shortcuts: you simply... You work faster and with less friction.