bash commands not working

[Folk Theory]

when I type CTRL A in bash, instead of being taken to the first character in the line, the characters "^A" appear. the same happens with ^E, ^F , ^B and ^L.

However, ^H works fine.

Is there some way to fix this?

[chopinhauer]

What terminal are you using? Is your TERM variable set correctly?

[Folk Theory]

my terminal is ubuntu's default: gnome-terminal, using bash. However using
echo $TERM returns xterm. Is this the root of the problem? what should I do?

[chopinhauer]

my terminal is ubuntu's default: gnome-terminal, using bash. However using
echo $TERM returns xterm. Is this the root of the problem? what should I do?

'xterm' is the correct value for the terminal type of gnome-terminal. The next step would be to check readline key bindings, you can check it with:

bind -p

and look if '\C-a' is bound to something.

[Folk Theory]

it's huge, here it goes:

# abort (not bound)
"\C-j": accept-line
"\C-m": accept-line
# alias-expand-line (not bound)
# arrow-key-prefix (not bound)
# backward-byte (not bound)
"\eOD": backward-char
"\e[D": backward-char
"\C-h": backward-delete-char
"\C-?": backward-delete-char
# backward-kill-line (not bound)
# backward-kill-word (not bound)
# backward-word (not bound)
# beginning-of-history (not bound)
"\eOH": beginning-of-line
"\e[H": beginning-of-line
# call-last-kbd-macro (not bound)
# capitalize-word (not bound)
# character-search (not bound)
# character-search-backward (not bound)
# clear-screen (not bound)
"\C-i": complete
# complete-command (not bound)
# complete-filename (not bound)
# complete-hostname (not bound)
# complete-into-braces (not bound)
# complete-username (not bound)
# complete-variable (not bound)
# copy-backward-word (not bound)
# copy-forward-word (not bound)
# copy-region-as-kill (not bound)
# dabbrev-expand (not bound)
"\e[3~": delete-char
# delete-char-or-list (not bound)
# delete-horizontal-space (not bound)
# digit-argument (not bound)
# display-shell-version (not bound)
# do-lowercase-version (not bound)
# downcase-word (not bound)
# dump-functions (not bound)
# dump-macros (not bound)
# dump-variables (not bound)
# dynamic-complete-history (not bound)
# edit-and-execute-command (not bound)
# emacs-editing-mode (not bound)
# end-kbd-macro (not bound)
# end-of-history (not bound)
"\eOF": end-of-line
"\e[F": end-of-line
# exchange-point-and-mark (not bound)
# forward-backward-delete-char (not bound)
# forward-byte (not bound)
"\eOC": forward-char
"\e[C": forward-char
"\C-s": forward-search-history
# forward-word (not bound)
# glob-complete-word (not bound)
# glob-expand-word (not bound)
# glob-list-expansions (not bound)
# history-and-alias-expand-line (not bound)
# history-expand-line (not bound)
# history-search-backward (not bound)
# history-search-forward (not bound)
# insert-comment (not bound)
# insert-completions (not bound)
# insert-last-argument (not bound)
# kill-line (not bound)
# kill-region (not bound)
# kill-whole-line (not bound)
# kill-word (not bound)
# magic-space (not bound)
"\C-n": menu-complete
"\C-p": menu-complete-backward
"\eOB": next-history
"\e[B": next-history
# non-incremental-forward-search-history (not bound)
# non-incremental-forward-search-history-again (not bound)
# non-incremental-reverse-search-history (not bound)
# non-incremental-reverse-search-history-again (not bound)
# old-menu-complete (not bound)
# operate-and-get-next (not bound)
# overwrite-mode (not bound)
# possible-command-completions (not bound)
# possible-completions (not bound)
# possible-filename-completions (not bound)
# possible-hostname-completions (not bound)
# possible-username-completions (not bound)
# possible-variable-completions (not bound)
"\eOA": previous-history
"\e[A": previous-history
"\C-v": quoted-insert
# redraw-current-line (not bound)
# re-read-init-file (not bound)
"\C-r": reverse-search-history
# revert-line (not bound)
"\C-a": self-insert
"\C-b": self-insert
"\C-c": self-insert
"\C-e": self-insert
"\C-f": self-insert
"\C-g": self-insert
"\C-k": self-insert
"\C-l": self-insert
"\C-o": self-insert
"\C-q": self-insert
"\C-x": self-insert
"\C-z": self-insert
"\C-\\": self-insert
"\C-]": self-insert
"\C-^": self-insert
" ": self-insert
"!": self-insert
"\"": self-insert
"#": self-insert
"$": self-insert
"%": self-insert
"&": self-insert
"'": self-insert
"(": self-insert
")": self-insert
"*": self-insert
"+": self-insert
",": self-insert
"-": self-insert
".": self-insert
"/": self-insert
"0": self-insert
"1": self-insert
"2": self-insert
"3": self-insert
"4": self-insert
"5": self-insert
"6": self-insert
"7": self-insert
"8": self-insert
"9": self-insert
":": self-insert
";": self-insert
"<": self-insert
"=": self-insert
">": self-insert
"?": self-insert
"@": self-insert
"A": self-insert
"B": self-insert
"C": self-insert
"D": self-insert
"E": self-insert
"F": self-insert
"G": self-insert
"H": self-insert
"I": self-insert
"J": self-insert
"K": self-insert
"L": self-insert
"M": self-insert
"N": self-insert
"O": self-insert
"P": self-insert
"Q": self-insert
"R": self-insert
"S": self-insert
"T": self-insert
"U": self-insert
"V": self-insert
"W": self-insert
"X": self-insert
"Y": self-insert
"Z": self-insert
"[": self-insert
"\\": self-insert
"]": self-insert
"^": self-insert
"_": self-insert
"`": self-insert
"a": self-insert
"b": self-insert
"c": self-insert
"d": self-insert
"e": self-insert
"f": self-insert
"g": self-insert
"h": self-insert
"i": self-insert
"j": self-insert
"k": self-insert
"l": self-insert
"m": self-insert
"n": self-insert
"o": self-insert
"p": self-insert
"q": self-insert
"r": self-insert
"s": self-insert
"t": self-insert
"u": self-insert
"v": self-insert
"w": self-insert
"x": self-insert
"y": self-insert
"z": self-insert
"{": self-insert
"|": self-insert
"}": self-insert
"~": self-insert
"\200": self-insert
"\201": self-insert
"\202": self-insert
"\203": self-insert
"\204": self-insert
"\205": self-insert
"\206": self-insert
"\207": self-insert
"\210": self-insert
"\211": self-insert
"\212": self-insert
"\213": self-insert
"\214": self-insert
"\215": self-insert
"\216": self-insert
"\217": self-insert
"\220": self-insert
"\221": self-insert
"\222": self-insert
"\223": self-insert
"\224": self-insert
"\225": self-insert
"\226": self-insert
"\227": self-insert
"\230": self-insert
"\231": self-insert
"\232": self-insert
"\233": self-insert
"\234": self-insert
"\235": self-insert
"\236": self-insert
"\237": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
"�": self-insert
# set-mark (not bound)
# shell-backward-kill-word (not bound)
# shell-backward-word (not bound)
# shell-expand-line (not bound)
# shell-forward-word (not bound)
# shell-kill-word (not bound)
# skip-csi-sequence (not bound)
# start-kbd-macro (not bound)
# tab-insert (not bound)
# tilde-expand (not bound)
"\C-t": transpose-chars
# transpose-words (not bound)
# tty-status (not bound)
# undo (not bound)
# universal-argument (not bound)
# unix-filename-rubout (not bound)
"\C-u": unix-line-discard
"\C-w": unix-word-rubout
# upcase-word (not bound)
# vi-append-eol (not bound)
# vi-append-mode (not bound)
# vi-arg-digit (not bound)
# vi-back-to-indent (not bound)
# vi-bword (not bound)
# vi-bWord (not bound)
# vi-change-case (not bound)
# vi-change-char (not bound)
# vi-change-to (not bound)
# vi-char-search (not bound)
# vi-column (not bound)
# vi-complete (not bound)
# vi-delete (not bound)
# vi-delete-to (not bound)
# vi-editing-mode (not bound)
# vi-end-word (not bound)
"\C-d": vi-eof-maybe
# vi-eword (not bound)
# vi-eWord (not bound)
# vi-fetch-history (not bound)
# vi-first-print (not bound)
# vi-fword (not bound)
# vi-fWord (not bound)
# vi-goto-mark (not bound)
# vi-insert-beg (not bound)
# vi-insertion-mode (not bound)
# vi-match (not bound)
"\e": vi-movement-mode
# vi-next-word (not bound)
# vi-overstrike (not bound)
# vi-overstrike-delete (not bound)
# vi-prev-word (not bound)
# vi-put (not bound)
# vi-redo (not bound)
# vi-replace (not bound)
# vi-rubout (not bound)
# vi-search (not bound)
# vi-search-again (not bound)
# vi-set-mark (not bound)
# vi-subst (not bound)
# vi-tilde-expand (not bound)
# vi-yank-arg (not bound)
# vi-yank-to (not bound)
"\C-y": yank
# yank-last-arg (not bound)
# yank-nth-arg (not bound)
# yank-pop (not bound)

[chopinhauer]

"\C-a": self-insert
"\C-b": self-insert
"\C-c": self-insert
"\C-e": self-insert
"\C-f": self-insert
"\C-g": self-insert
"\C-k": self-insert
"\C-l": self-insert
"\C-o": self-insert
"\C-q": self-insert
"\C-x": self-insert
"\C-z": self-insert
"\C-\\": self-insert
"\C-]": self-insert
"\C-^": self-insert

Did you modify your ~/.inputrc and /etc/inputrc files? On a standard Ubuntu installation the first doesn't exist, while the second contains:

# /etc/inputrc - global inputrc for libreadline
# See readline(3readline) and `info rluserman' for more information.

# Be 8 bit clean.
set input-meta on
set output-meta on

# To allow the use of 8bit-characters like the german umlauts, uncomment
# the line below. However this makes the meta key not work as a meta key,
# which is annoying to those which don't need to type in 8-bit characters.

# set convert-meta off

# try to enable the application keypad when it is called.  Some systems
# need this to enable the arrow keys.
# set enable-keypad on

# see /usr/share/doc/bash/inputrc.arrows for other codes of arrow keys

# do not bell on tab-completion
# set bell-style none
# set bell-style visible

# some defaults / modifications for the emacs mode
$if mode=emacs

# allow the use of the Home/End keys
"\e[1~": beginning-of-line
"\e[4~": end-of-line

# allow the use of the Delete/Insert keys
"\e[3~": delete-char
"\e[2~": quoted-insert

# mappings for "page up" and "page down" to step to the beginning/end
# of the history
# "\e[5~": beginning-of-history
# "\e[6~": end-of-history

# alternate mappings for "page up" and "page down" to search the history
# "\e[5~": history-search-backward
# "\e[6~": history-search-forward

# mappings for Ctrl-left-arrow and Ctrl-right-arrow for word moving
"\e[1;5C": forward-word
"\e[1;5D": backward-word
"\e[5C": forward-word
"\e[5D": backward-word
"\e\e[C": forward-word
"\e\e[D": backward-word

$if term=rxvt
"\e[8~": end-of-line
"\eOc": forward-word
"\eOd": backward-word
$endif

# for non RH/Debian xterm, can't hurt for RH/Debian xterm
# "\eOH": beginning-of-line
# "\eOF": end-of-line

# for freebsd console
# "\e[H": beginning-of-line
# "\e[F": end-of-line

$endif

[Folk Theory]

I haven't modified them, /etc/inputrc looks like yours, and i don't have .inputrc. what i have done is install

[chopinhauer]

Sorry, I didn't recognize the bindings. They are vi-style bindings. You probably have a

set -o vi

in your ~/.bashrc .

To revert to Emacs-style bindings type:

set -o emacs

[Folk Theory]

thank you! that fixed it.

[Folk Theory]

the only one that is still showing is ^C, it still works, but also gets displayed. is there some way to disable that?