Here’s a list of some of the most useful Linux keyboard shortcuts cover various common desktop environments and terminal usage:
General System Shortcuts
1. Ctrl + Alt + T: Open a terminal.
2. Ctrl + Alt + L: Lock the screen.
3. Ctrl + Alt + Del: Open logout/shutdown options (depending on the distro).
4. Super (Windows key) + D: Show the desktop (minimize all windows).
5. Super + L: Lock the screen (alternative to Ctrl + Alt + L).
6. Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the system monitor (task manager).
7. Alt + F2: Open the “Run Application” dialog.
8. Super + A: Open the application menu (GNOME, for example).
9. Super + Tab: Switch between windows of the current workspace.
Window Management
1. Alt + Tab: Switch between open windows.
2. Alt + F4: Close the current window.
3. Super + Left Arrow: Snap the window to the left half of the screen.
4. Super + Right Arrow: Snap the window to the right half of the screen.
5. Super + Up Arrow: Maximize the window.
6. Super + Down Arrow: Restore the window from maximized state or minimize it.
7. Ctrl + Super + D: Show or hide the desktop.
Text Editing (Common for GNOME, KDE, etc.)
1. Ctrl + C: Copy selected text.
2. Ctrl + X: Cut selected text.
3. Ctrl + V: Paste text.
4. Ctrl + A: Select all text.
5. Ctrl + Z: Undo the last action.
6. Ctrl + Shift + Z: Redo the last undone action.
7. Ctrl + F: Open the search dialog in most text editors.
8. Ctrl + S: Save the current document.
9. Ctrl + Shift + T: Open a new tab (in text editors or terminal).
10. Ctrl + Shift + W: Close the current tab (in text editors or terminal).
Terminal Shortcuts
1. Ctrl + Alt + T: Open a terminal window.
2. Ctrl + Shift + T: Open a new tab in terminal.
3. Ctrl + D: Exit the terminal or close the current shell.
4. Ctrl + C: Kill the current running process.
5. Ctrl + Z: Suspend the current process.
6. Ctrl + L: Clear the terminal screen.
7. Ctrl + A: Move the cursor to the beginning of the line.
8. Ctrl + E: Move the cursor to the end of the line.
9. Ctrl + U: Delete everything to the left of the cursor.
10. Ctrl + K: Delete everything to the right of the cursor.
11. Ctrl + W: Delete the word before the cursor.
12. Ctrl + Y: Paste the last deleted text.
13. Ctrl + R: Reverse search through command history.
14. Ctrl + S: Pause the terminal output (use Ctrl + Q to resume).
15. Ctrl + Q: Resume terminal output after pause.
16. Tab: Auto-complete file or directory names.
17. Arrow Up: Scroll through the previous commands.
18. Arrow Down: Scroll forward through the command history.
19. Shift + Page Up: Scroll up in terminal output.
20. Shift + Page Down: Scroll down in terminal output.
Workspace and Desktop Environment Shortcuts
1. Ctrl + Alt + Arrow Left/Right: Switch between workspaces (or virtual desktops).
2. Super + Arrow Left/Right: Move between workspaces in GNOME.
3. Super + 1-9: Switch to a specific workspace (depends on the environment).
4. Ctrl + Alt + F1 – F6: Switch to a virtual console (text mode).
5. Ctrl + Alt + F7: Switch back to the graphical user interface (GUI) (or F1 depending on the distro).
File Explorer Shortcuts (Nautilus, Dolphin, etc.)
1. Ctrl + N: Open a new file manager window.
2. Ctrl + T: Open a new tab in the file manager.
3. Ctrl + W: Close the current file manager tab.
4. Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new folder.
5. F2: Rename a selected file or folder.
6. Ctrl + A: Select all files and folders.
7. Ctrl + C: Copy the selected files/folders.
8. Ctrl + X: Cut the selected files/folders.
9. Ctrl + V: Paste the copied/cut files/folders.
10. Delete: Move the selected file/folder to trash.
11. Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the selected file/folder.
12. Ctrl + F: Open search within the file manager.
Browser Shortcuts (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
1. Ctrl + T: Open a new tab.
2. Ctrl + W: Close the current tab.
3. Ctrl + Shift + T: Reopen the last closed tab.
4. Ctrl + L: Focus the address bar.
5. Ctrl + Tab: Switch to the next tab.
6. Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Switch to the previous tab.
7. Ctrl + R: Reload the current page.
8. Ctrl + F: Open the find bar to search the page.
9. Ctrl + H: Open browser history.
Miscellaneous Shortcuts
1. Alt + F1: Open the main application menu (varies by environment).
2. Alt + F2: Open the “Run” dialog (for running commands).
3. Alt + Space: Open the window menu (close, minimize, maximize).
4. Alt + Enter: Open properties for the selected file or application.
These shortcuts are for commonly used Linux desktop environments (GNOME, KDE, etc.), but some may vary slightly depending on your distribution or desktop manager.