search Command History

[borgward]

How do I search command history, besides using the up and down arrows?

For example I used a command that started with m, but I don't remember what that command was. I could up or down arrow thru several thousand commands until I recognize it.

Is it possible search command history at a particular date?

[howefield]

Would you believe by using the history command ?

man history

[nothingspecial]

Hit Ctrl-R and start typing to search your bash history.

[deadflowr]

It's stored in the .bash_history file in your home folder.
Running history will show you everything listed in that file.

[mc4man]

You can also just use a .inputrc file either globally or locally in your home folder.
(i'm a single user so just add to home folder.

gedit .inputrc

For searches based on letter(s) typed in terminal using the page up/down keys

"\e[5~": history-search-backward
"\e[6~": history-search-forward

if wanting to use the arrow up/down instead for All searches (with nothing typed searches as usual - last command > back/foward, with something typed uses that instead

"\e[A": history-search-backward
"\e[B": history-search-forward

[schragge]

For example I used a command that started with m, but I don't remember what that command was.

In bash

fc -l m m

[stinkeye]

Same as mc4man's tip except to say the setting to bind "page up" and "page down" to search the history
already exists in the system wide /etc/inputrc file.
Just need to uncomment.

ie

gksudo gedit /etc/inputrc

and uncomment lines 41 and 42 to look like...

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

[borgward]

Hit Ctrl-R and start typing to search your bash history.

$ Ctrl Shift R (you did mean capitol R?)
(reverse-i-search)`': m
(reverse-i-search)`m': cat .bash_history | more

I am looking for a way to search history for commands starting with m

[borgward]

In bash

fc -l m m

That is only getting me one instance of the letter m. I want to see all the commands in history that start with m.

[stinkeye]

$ Ctrl Shift R (you did mean capitol R?)
(reverse-i-search)`': m
(reverse-i-search)`m': cat .bash_history | more

I am looking for a way to search history for commands starting with m

mc4man's solution does what you want.
eg bind pgeup/down to

"\e[5~": history-search-backward
"\e[6~": history-search-forward

Enter one ore more characters for the start of the command then
press pageup to cycle back through your history for commands you've used
starting with those characters.