For those shortcut key lovers out there, here is a long list of keyboard shortcuts for Ubuntu. Most of them should work in most Gnome-based distros. Enjoy the list.
Also read: How to Assign/Remap Keyboard Shortcuts for Better Productivity in Linux
| General Keyboard Shortcuts | |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Ctrl + C | Copy the highlighted content to clipboard |
| Ctrl + V | Paste the clipboard content |
| Ctrl + N | New (Create a new document or new application, not in terminal) |
| Ctrl + O | Open file |
| Ctrl + S | Save file |
| Ctrl + P | Print file |
| Ctrl + W | Close file |
| Ctrl + Q | Quit current application |
| F1 | Show help/documentation about app/function (if available) |
| Keyboard Shortcuts for GNOME Desktop | |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Alt + Delete | Log out |
| Ctrl + Alt + Backspace | Restart GNOME |
| Ctrl + Alt + F1 | Switch to the first virtual terminal |
| Ctrl + Alt + F2(F3)(F4)(F5)(F6) | Select the different virtual terminals |
| Ctrl + Alt + F7 | Restore back to the current terminal session with X |
| Ctrl + Alt + Tab | Switch between system controls |
| Ctrl + Alt + Escape | Switch system controls directly |
| Ctrl + Alt + T | Launch terminal |
| Ctrl + Super + D | Hide all windows/Show desktop |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open programs |
| Alt + Space | Open the window menu |
| Alt + F1 | Open the Activities overview |
| Alt + F2 | Open the “Run a Command” dialog box. |
| Alt + F4 | Close the current window |
| Alt + F5 | Unmaximizes the current window |
| Alt + F6 | Switch windows of an app directly |
| Alt + F7 | Move the current window |
| Alt + F8 | Resize the current window |
| Alt + F10 | Toggle maximization for the current window |
| Super + A | Show all applications |
| Super + H | Hide window |
| Super + L | Lock the screen |
| Super + N | Focus the active notification |
| Super + S | Show the overview |
| Super + V | Show the notification list |
| Super + F10 | Open the application menu |
| Super + Tab | Switch applications |
| Super + ` | Switch windows of an application |
| Super + Escape | Restore the keyboard shortcuts |
| Super + Up | Maximize window |
| Super + Down | Restore window |
| Super + Left | View split on left |
| Super + Right | View split on right |
| Super + PageUp/PageDown | Move to the workspace above/below |
| Super + Home/End | Move to the first/last workspace |
| Super + Space | Switch to the next input source |
| Super + Shift + Space | Switch to the previous input source |
| Super + Shift + Up/Down/Left/Right | Move window one monitor up/down/left/right |
| Super + Shift + PageUp/PageDown | Move window one workspace up/down |
| Super + Shift + Home/End | Move window to first/last workspace |
| Super + Alt + S | Turn screen reader on or off |
| Super + Alt + 8 | Turn zoom on or off |
| Super + Alt + = | Zoom in |
| Super + Alt + – | Zoom out |
| Keyboard Shortcuts for Terminal | |
|---|---|
| Arrow Up/Down | Browse command history |
| F11 | Full screen |
| Alt + F/Right | Move forward one word |
| Alt + B/Left | Move backward one word |
| Alt + (any number from 1 to 0) | Switch to respective tab (out of the first ten) |
| Shift + PageUp / PageDown | Scroll terminal output |
| Ctrl + A | Move cursor to beginning of line |
| Ctrl + E | Move cursor to end of line |
| Ctrl + C | Kill the current process |
| Ctrl + Z | Suspend the current process by sending the signal SIGSTOP |
| Ctrl + R | Find the last command matching the entered letters |
| Enter a letter, followed by Tab + Tab | List the available commands beginning with those letters |
| Ctrl + U | Delete the current line |
| Ctrl + K | Delete everything to the right of the cursor’s position |
| Ctrl + W | Delete the word before the cursor |
| Ctrl + L | Clears the terminal output |
| Ctrl + PageUp | Switch to previous tab |
| Ctrl + PageDown | Switch to next tab |
| Ctrl + + | Zoom In |
| Ctrl + – | Zoom out |
| Ctrl + 0 | Normal size (Reset zoom) |
| Ctrl + Shift + PageUp | Move tab to the left |
| Ctrl + Shift + PageDown | Move tab to the right |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy the highlighted command to the clipboard |
| Ctrl + Shift + V (or Shift + Insert) | Paste the contents of the clipboard |
| Ctrl + Shift + F | Find |
| Ctrl + Shift + G | Find next |
| Ctrl + Shift + H | Find previous |
| Ctrl + Shift + J | Clear highlight |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | New hab |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | New window |
| Ctrl + Shift + W | Close tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + Q | Close window |
| Keyboard Shortcuts for Taking Screenshots | |
|---|---|
| Save a screenshot to Pictures folder | |
| Alt + Print | Save a screenshot of a window to Pictures folder |
| Shift + Print | Save a screenshot of an area to Pictures folder |
| Ctrl + Alt + Print | Copy a screenshot of a window to clipboard |
| Ctrl + Shift + Print | Copy a screenshot of an area to clipboard |
| Ctrl + Print | Copy a screenshot to clipboard |
| Ctrl + Shift + Alt + R | Start screencast recording |
| Keyboard Shortcut for Files/Nautilus | |
|---|---|
| Delete | Move selected files/folders to Trash |
| Shift + Delete | Delete selected files/folders permanently |
| Ctrl + ?/F1 | Open the Keyboard Shortcut window |
| Ctrl + T | Open a new tab |
| Ctrl + PageUp | Go to previous tab |
| Ctrl + PageDown | Go to next tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + PageUp | Move tab left |
| Ctrl + Shift + PageDown | Move tab right |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Restore closed tab |
| Alt + 0 … . 8 | Go to the specified tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create new folder |
| Ctrl + Shift + I | Invert selection |
| Ctrl + ENTER | Open the selected folder in a new tab |
| Shift + ENTER | Open the selected folder in a new window |
| Ctrl + I or Alt + ENTER | Show file/folder properties |
| Ctrl + 1 | Toggle view as list |
| Ctrl + 2 | Toggle view as grid |
| Ctrl + S | Select pattern |
| Ctrl + A | Select all files and folders |
| Ctrl + F | Search |
| Ctrl + D | Bookmark current location |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Shift + Z | Redo |
| Ctrl + W | Close window |
| Ctrl + O or Enter | Open selected file/folder (with default application) |
| Ctrl + Shift + Down | Open file and close window |
| Ctrl + R | Reload window |
| Alt + Up | Go up |
| Alt + Left | Go back |
| Alt + Right | Go forward |
| Alt + Down | Go down |
| Alt + Home | Go to Home folder |
| Ctrl + L | Show/go to location bar |
| Ctrl + Alt + O | Open item location (search and recent only) |
| / | Show/go to location bar with root location |
| ~ | Show/go to location bar with Home location |
| Ctrl + H | Show/hide hidden files |
| Ctrl + + | Zoom in |
| Ctrl + – | Zoom out |
| Ctrl + 0 | Reset zoom |
| Alt + Down | Open selected file with default application |
| F2 | Rename selected file/folder |
| F5 or Ctrl + R | Refresh view |
| F9 | Show/hide sidepane |
| F10 | Show/hide action menu |
If you want to configure your own keyboard shortcuts, you can do so at “Settings -> Devices -> Keyboard.”
Which ones are your favorite keyboard shortcuts? Are there more shortcuts that I left out? Let me know in the comments, and I will add them to the lists.
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Odysseas Kourafalos
OK’s real life started at around 10, when he got his first computer – a Commodore 128. Since then, he’s been melting keycaps by typing 24/7, trying to spread The Word Of Tech to anyone interested enough to listen. Or, rather, read.
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