Chapter 18 Working Faster by Typing Less

1.1 Moving Quickly Among Arbitrary Directories

Use the pushd and popd built-in commands to manage a stack of directory locations, and to switch between them easily.

[root@MaxwellDBA ~]#  mkdir /var/log/cups
[root@MaxwellDBA ~]# pwd
/root
[root@MaxwellDBA ~]# cd /tmp/tank
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# pwd
/tmp/tank
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# pushd /var/log/cups
/var/log/cups /tmp/tank
[root@MaxwellDBA cups]# pwd
/var/log/cups
[root@MaxwellDBA cups]# touch access_log error_log page_log
[root@MaxwellDBA cups]# ls
access_log  error_log  page_log
[root@MaxwellDBA cups]# popd
/tmp/tank
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# ls
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# ls
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# touch empty full
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# ls
empty  full
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# pushd /var/log/cups
/var/log/cups /tmp/tank
[root@MaxwellDBA cups]# pushd
/tmp/tank /var/log/cups
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# pushd
/var/log/cups /tmp/tank
[root@MaxwellDBA cups]# pushd
/tmp/tank /var/log/cups
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# dirs
/tmp/tank /var/log/cups
[root@MaxwellDBA tank]# 

1.2 Repeating the Last Command

The other (more modern) solution involves using the arrow keys. Typing the uparrow key will scroll back through the previous commands that you have issued. When you find the one you want, just press the Enter key and that command will be run (again).

[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$ /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog -g -H -yknot -w /tmp/soforthandsoon
-bash: /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog: No such file or directory
[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$ !!
/usr/bin/somewhere/someprog -g -H -yknot -w /tmp/soforthandsoon
-bash: /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog: No such file or directory
[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$

1.3 Running Almost the Same Command\

If you’re going to use this feature, just be careful with your substitutions. If you had tried to change the -g option by typing !!:s/g/h/ you would have ended up changing Substituting Across Word Boundaries | 457 the first letter g, which is at the end of the command name, and you would be trying to run /usr/bin/somewhere/someproh.

[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$ /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog -g -H -yknot -w /tmp/soforthandsoon
-bash: /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog: No such file or directory
[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$ !!:s/H/A/
/usr/bin/somewhere/someprog -g -A -yknot -w /tmp/soforthandsoon
-bash: /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog: No such file or directory
[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$ 

1.4 Substituting Across Word Boundaries

Use the caret (^) substitution mechanism:

[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$ /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog -g -A -yknot -w /tmp/soforthandsoon
-bash: /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog: No such file or directory
[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$ ^-g -A^-gB^
/usr/bin/somewhere/someprog -gB -yknot -w /tmp/soforthandsoon
-bash: /usr/bin/somewhere/someprog: No such file or directory
[maxwell@MaxwellDBA Day0801]$