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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallIn GNU Bash, use history to view recent commands, search through history with your command-line editing keys, and use fc to list or edit and rerun selected entries. Bash-specific settings control what is retained and where it is saved; first confirm that your active shell is Bash before applying them.
Check which shell you are using
Linux systems can start different interactive shells, and their history commands and configuration are not interchangeable. To identify the shell process for your current terminal, run:
ps -p $$ -o comm=This prints the command name for the process represented by $$. If it reports Bash, the Bash instructions below apply. If it reports another shell, consult that shell’s documentation rather than copying Bash variables such as HISTFILE or HISTSIZE.
View and find earlier commands in Bash
Display the history list
Run history to display numbered entries from the current shell’s history list:
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historyTo narrow the displayed results by text, pipe the output to grep, for example:
history | grep sshThis searches the displayed list for lines containing ssh. It is a text search, not a guarantee that every command ever run appears: entries may have been filtered, removed, or not yet written to the history file.
Search interactively while entering a command
Bash’s command-line editing supports searching history for text. In the usual Emacs editing mode, press Ctrl+R, type part of a previous command, and press Ctrl+R again to move through earlier matches. Use the displayed match as a starting point; edit it as needed, and inspect the full line before pressing Enter to run it. Editing mode and key bindings can vary by Bash configuration.
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Reuse or edit a previous command
Use fc for a selected entry or range
The fc builtin can list a selected range of history or open a range in an editor; when used in its editing form, it executes the edited command sequence after you save and exit. Check help fc or the installed Bash manual for the syntax supported by your version.
Because editing fc can lead directly to execution, review every line before saving and closing the editor, particularly commands that change files, system settings, or accounts.
Be cautious with history expansion
Bash also has history expansion, which substitutes references to previous commands before the new command runs. A substitution can make the executed line different from what you initially typed. If you use history expansion and are unsure of the result, inspect the expanded command before allowing it to run; do not rely on a remembered shorthand for a consequential operation.
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Where Bash history is saved
Bash maintains a history list in memory and normally reads a persistent history file when it starts. The file path is set by HISTFILE; its default is ~/.bash_history. When history is enabled, Bash generally writes the last HISTSIZE entries from the in-memory list to that file as the shell exits. If HISTFILE is unset or empty, Bash does not save the list on exit.
The histappend shell option affects whether Bash appends new entries to the file instead of overwriting it. With multiple open shells, settings and the order in which those shells exit can affect what you find in the file. Also, the command text Bash stores is recorded before parameter and variable expansion, but after history expansion and subject to history filtering. It does not necessarily show the final expanded values a program received.
Set Bash history retention and display
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
HISTSIZE |
Maximum number of commands kept in Bash’s in-memory history list. The Bash manual gives 500 as the default after startup files are read; startup files can change it. |
HISTFILESIZE |
Maximum number of lines in the history file. Bash truncates the file as needed, with special handling for multiline entries. |
HISTFILE |
Path to the file read at startup and written at exit; defaults to ~/.bash_history. |
HISTTIMEFORMAT |
When non-empty, supplies the time format used to display timestamps for entries with available timestamp data. |
For example, these assignments in a Bash startup file set a larger in-memory list and file limit:
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HISTSIZE=5000
HISTFILESIZE=10000These values affect different things: a larger HISTSIZE does not by itself raise the file’s line limit, and a larger HISTFILESIZE does not expand the current shell’s in-memory list. Bash startup files can set or override the values, so inspect your configuration if the effective behavior differs from the assignments you expect.
Exclude selected commands from Bash history
HISTCONTROL and HISTIGNORE configure filtering. Their effect is limited to Bash’s own history handling; they are not a general privacy or logging control.
Use HISTCONTROL
HISTCONTROL accepts these documented values:
ignorespaceexcludes a command line that begins with a space.ignoredupsexcludes a line when it matches the immediately previous history entry.ignorebothcombinesignorespaceandignoredups.erasedupsremoves earlier matching entries from the history list before saving the current line.
For example, the following setting makes Bash ignore lines beginning with a space and consecutive duplicates:
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HISTCONTROL=ignorebothA leading space does not always suppress history: it works for this purpose only when the applicable ignore-space behavior is active.
Use HISTIGNORE
HISTIGNORE is a colon-separated list of patterns. Bash matches each pattern against the whole command line, with the match anchored at the beginning. The Bash manual also documents & for matching the previous history line and [ ]* for leading-space behavior. Pattern matching can be easy to misconfigure, so check the installed Bash manual before relying on a rule to exclude a particular command.
Clear history without confusing the list and file
The in-memory history list and persistent history file are related but separate. The history builtin can delete list entries and manipulate the history file, but available options and their exact behavior should be checked with help history or the manual for your installed Bash version. Clearing one does not necessarily clear the other. A shell that remains open may still have entries in memory and can write them when it exits, depending on its settings.
Keep secrets out of command history
Filtering can reduce accidental storage of command lines in Bash history, but it cannot establish that a secret is hidden from every other part of the system. Avoid putting passwords, access tokens, or other secrets directly in command arguments when a safer interactive prompt, credential helper, or other protected input method is available. Treat shell history as a convenience record, not a secure vault.
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