Terminal Cheat Sheet

SHORTCUTS

Key/Command	Description
Ctrl + A	Go to the beginning of the line you are currently typing on.
Ctrl + E	Go to the end of the line you are currently typing on.
Ctrl + C	Kill whatever you are running. Also clears everything on current line
Tab	Auto-complete files and folder names

CORE COMMANDS

Key/Command	Description
cd [folder]	Change directory e.g. `cd Documents`
cd	Home directory
cd /	Root of drive
cd -	Previous directory
ls	Short listing
ls -l	Long listing
ls -a	Listing incl. hidden files
ls -lh	Long listing with Human readable file sizes
ls -R	Entire content of folder recursively
sudo [command]	Run command with the security privileges of the superuser (Super User DO)
nano [file]	Opens the file using the nano editor

COMMAND HISTORY

Key/Command	Description
history n	Shows the stuff typed – add a number to limit the last n items
arrow key up	Scrolls through last commands typed

FILE MANAGEMENT

Key/Command	Description
touch [file]	Create a new file
pwd	Full path to working directory
.	Current folder, e.g. `ls .`
..	Parent/enclosing directory, e.g. `ls ..`
ls -l ..	Long listing of parent directory
cd ../../	Move 2 levels up
rm [file]	Remove a file, e.g. `rm data.tmp`
rm -i [file]	Remove with confirmation
rm -r [dir]	Remove a directory and contents
rm -f [file]	Force removal without confirmation
cp [file] [newfile]	Copy file to file
cp [file] [dir]	Copy file to directory
mv [file] [new filename]	Move/Rename, e.g. `mv file1.ad /tmp`

DIRECTORY MANAGEMENT

Key/Command	Description
mkdir [dir]	Create new directory
mkdir -p [dir]/[dir]	Create nested directories
rmdir [dir]	Remove directory ( only operates on empty directories )
rm -R [dir]	Remove directory and contents
less [file]	Output file content delivered in screensize chunks

HELP

Key/Command	Description
[command] -h	Offers help
[command] --help	Offers help
info [command]	Offers help
man [command]	Show the help manual for [command]

CREATE A REPOSITORY

Key/Command	Description
git init [project name]	create a new local repository
git clone my_url	download from an existing repository

OBSERVE YOUR REPOSITORY

Key/Command	Description
git status	list new or modified files not yet committed
git diff	show the changes to files not yet staged
git diff --cached	show the changes to staged files
git diff HEAD	show all staged and unstaged file changes
git diff commit1 commit2	show the changes between two commit ids
git blame [file]	list the change dates and authors for a file
git show [commit]: [file]	show the file changes for a commit id and/ or file
git log	show full change history
git log -p [file/directory]	show change history for file/directory including diffs

WORKING WITH BRANCHES

Key/Command	Description
git branch	list of local branches
git branch -av	list all branches, local and remote
git checkout my_branch	switch to a branch, my_branch, and update working directory
git branch new_branch	create a new branch called "new_branch"
git branch -d my_branch	delete the branch called "my_branch"
git checkout branch_b + git merge branch_a	merge branch_a into branch_b
git tag my_tag	tag the current commit

MAKE A CHANGE

Key/Command	Description
git add [file]	stages the file, ready for commit
git add .	stage all changed files, ready for commit
git commit -m "commit message"	commit all staged files to versioned history
git commit -am "commit message"	commit all your tracked files to versioned history
git reset [file]	unstages file, keeping the file changes
git reset --hard	revert everything to the last commit

SYNCHRONIZE

Key/Command	Description
git fetch	git the latest changes from origin (no merge)
git pull	fetch the latest changes from origin and merge
git pull --rebase	fetch the latest changes from origin and rebase
git push	push local changes to the origin