Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Step By Step Guide
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# 12.6. Tips on Using Command History

What are some other ways I can use command history?

If you type `history`, a numbered list scrolls by very quickly, showing you the previous 500 commands you have used.

You probably do not need to see all of the last 500 commands, so the command `history 20` might be useful. This way, only the previous 20 commands you typed are displayed (you can use any quantity as an argument of the `history` command).

## 12.6.1. Other Shortcuts

Here are other command history shortcuts which may be useful to you:

- "Bang, bang": Typing `!!` (called "bang bang") executes the last command in the history.

- "Bang `number`": Typing `!`number`` (as in `!302`) executes the command which is numbered 302 in the history file.

- "Bang `string`": Typing `!`string`` (as in `!rpm`) executes a command with the most recent matching string from the history file.

- <KEYCAP >[Up arrow]</KEYCAP > and <KEYCAP >[down arrow]</KEYCAP >: At the shell or GUI terminal prompt, you can press the up arrow to move back through previous commands in your history list (the down arrow moves you forward through the commands) until you find the command you want. Press <KEYCAP >[Enter]</KEYCAP > to execute the command, just as if you had typed it on the command line.

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