[Linux] Bash fc Usage: Edit and re-execute commands

Overview

The fc command in Bash is used to list, edit, and re-execute commands from the shell’s history. It allows users to modify previous commands before running them again, making it a powerful tool for improving efficiency in the command line.

Usage

The basic syntax of the fc command is as follows:

fc [options] [arguments]

Common Options

• -l: List the commands in the history.
• -r: Reverses the order of the commands when listing.
• -s: Re-execute the command without opening an editor.
• -n: Suppress the command numbers when listing.

Common Examples

Listing Recent Commands

To list the last 10 commands from your history:

fc -l -n -10

Editing a Specific Command

To edit the command with history number 42:

fc 42

This will open the command in your default text editor for modification.

Re-executing the Last Command

To re-execute the last command without editing:

fc -s

Listing Commands in Reverse Order

To list the last 5 commands in reverse order:

fc -r -l -5

Tips

• Use fc -s to quickly rerun the last command without needing to edit it, which can save time.
• Familiarize yourself with your default text editor, as fc will open commands in that editor for editing.
• Combine fc with other commands like grep to filter through your command history for specific tasks. For example, fc -l | grep 'git' will show all previous Git commands.