Linux Terminal Keyboard Shortcuts – How to Jump to Next or Previous Word with CTRL + Arrow Keys

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In terminal emulation applications, pressing CTRL + Left / Right arrows jumps from one word to the previous or next one. Is it possible to have the same functionality in a Linux console, whether it is in text or in framebuffer modes?

In my configuration, the CTRL + arrow keys are transformed into escaped character sequences and not interpreted.

Best Answer

This is possible if and only if the terminal sends different escape sequences for Ctrl+Left vs Left. This is not the case by default on the Linux console (at least on my machine). You can make it so by modifying the keymap. The exact file to modify may depend on your distribution; on Debian lenny, the file to modify is /etc/console/boottime.kmap.gz. You need lines like

control keycode 105 = F100
string F100 = "\033O5D"
control keycode 106 = F101
string F101 = "\033O5C"

You might as well choose the same escape sequences as your X terminal emulator. To find out what the control sequence is, type Ctrl+V Ctrl+Left in a shell; this inserts (on my machine) ^[O5D where ^[ is an escape character. In the keymap file, \033 represents an escape character.

Configuring the application in the terminal to decode the escape sequence is a separate problem, .

Related Solutions

Bash – Deleting input forward to the next space

If you're an Emacs user, my answer probably isn't something you'll want to use, but it should still be noted on this page so here it is:

You can use vi keybindings in a bash shell very easily. Type set -o vi. Add it to your .bashrc if you like the results.

The answer to your specific question, delete forward to the next space, is accomplished with dt<Space> (delete till space) or just dE (delete to end of space-delimited Word).

Standard vi keybindings are used—the main thing to get used to (if you're a vi user already) is that you'll be in insert mode by default. So to use a Normal-mode command such as the above, type <Esc> first. Alternatively, you can hold down the Alt key while typing the first letter of your command. For instance, k is the vi command to go up one line, so <Alt>k can be used just like the up arrow—to go back one command in your history.

Tmux – How to Use Ctrl + Arrow Keys

This is similar to How to enable Control key combinations for GNU screen on putty?, but addresses a different aspect.

In a quick check, it seems that the problem is a conflict between this line

set-window-option -g xterm-keys on

and this:

set -g terminal-overrides "screen*:kLFT5=\eOD:kRIT5=\eOC:kUP5=\eOA:kDN5=\eOB:smkx@:rmkx@"

Dropping the set-window-option makes your configuration work for me.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Bash – Deleting input forward to the next space

Tmux – How to Use Ctrl + Arrow Keys

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