HOWTO Save a few seconds of your life with alias

**closet geek** · November 13th, 2005

If you're a command line user like myself no doubt the hassle of typing:

Code:

sudo apt-get install package

everytime you want to grab a package causes you strife. Let aliases help.

At a shell simply type:

Code:

alias apt='sudo apt-get install'
alias remove='sudo apt-get remove'
alias search='apt-cache search'

from now on you can simply type:

Code:

apt package

to install a package.

Code:

remove package

to remove a package.

and, you've guessed it:

Code:

search package

to look for a package.

To make these aliases stick add entries for them in your .bashrc or .bash_profile files.

Of coures you don't have to use my shortcuts, perhaps you'd prefer apt-search for search it's up to you such is the power of aliases. It should be noted that 'install' is already a command in Linux hence my choice of 'apt'.

cg

**lizardking** · November 14th, 2005

very useful...

cool!

thnx man!

**23meg** · November 14th, 2005

To make these permanent you can put the alias lines to your ~/.bash_profile file.

**henriquemaia** · November 14th, 2005

Code:

alias apt='sudo apt-get install'
alias remove='sude apt-get remove'
alias search='apt-cache search'

You have an error there. It should be sudo. Just for the sake of not misleading Ubuntu newcomers.

Apart from that, great tip. Thanks.

**closet geek** · November 14th, 2005

Originally Posted by henriquemaia

Code:

alias apt='sudo apt-get install'
alias remove='sude apt-get remove'
alias search='apt-cache search'

You have an error there. It should be sudo. Just for the sake of not misleading Ubuntu newcomers.

Apart from that, great tip. Thanks.

Oops! It should be no great suprise I also have:

Code:

alias sude='sudo'

In my bash_profile

cg

**escobar** · November 18th, 2005

Originally Posted by closet geek

If you're a command line user like myself no doubt the hassle of typing:

Code:

sudo apt-get install package

everytime you want to grab a package causes you strife. Let aliases help.

At a shell simply type:

Code:

alias apt='sudo apt-get install'
alias remove='sudo apt-get remove'
alias search='apt-cache search'

from now on you can simply type:

Code:

apt package

to install a package.

Code:

remove package

to remove a package.

and, you've guessed it:

Code:

search package

to look for a package.

To make these aliases stick add entries for them in your .bashrc or .bash_profile files.

Of coures you don't have to use my shortcuts, perhaps you'd prefer apt-search for search it's up to you such is the power of aliases. It should be noted that 'install' is already a command in Linux hence my choice of 'apt'.

cg

Originally Posted by closet geek

If you're a command line user like myself no doubt the hassle of typing:

Code:

sudo apt-get install package

everytime you want to grab a package causes you strife. Let aliases help.

At a shell simply type:

Code:

alias apt='sudo apt-get install'
alias remove='sudo apt-get remove'
alias search='apt-cache search'

from now on you can simply type:

Code:

apt package

to install a package.

Code:

remove package

to remove a package.

and, you've guessed it:

Code:

search package

to look for a package.

To make these aliases stick add entries for them in your .bashrc or .bash_profile files.

Of coures you don't have to use my shortcuts, perhaps you'd prefer apt-search for search it's up to you such is the power of aliases. It should be noted that 'install' is already a command in Linux hence my choice of 'apt'.

cg

I think I missed something. I can use the aliases after entering them into terminal, but they no longer work after reboot. Here's my .bash profile:

# .bash_profile
alias purge='sudo aptitude purge'
alias apt='sudo apt-get install'
alias edit='sudo gedit'

# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
. ~/.bashrc
fi

# User specific environment and startup programs

PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin

export PATH
unset USERNAME

-Keep in mind I added my aliases under EVERY section of this file. When I try running any of them (ex. purge gedit) I get 'command not found'. Can someone post theirs to compare?

**souled** · November 18th, 2005

Hmmm... try this method.

Code:

gedit .bashrc

Then find this section

Code:

# Alias definitions.
# You may want to put all your additions into a separate file like
# ~/.bash_aliases, instead of adding them here directly.
# See /usr/share/doc/bash-doc/examples in the bash-doc package.

#if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then
#   . ~/.bash_aliases
#fi

Uncomment (erase the #) the last three lines of that section. Then do

Code:

gedit .bash_aliases

and add your aliases to that file there. Then type

Code:

 bash

to restart bash and make it read your new aliases.

**escobar** · November 19th, 2005

Originally Posted by souled

Hmmm... try this method.

Code:

gedit .bashrc

Then find this section

Code:

# Alias definitions.
# You may want to put all your additions into a separate file like
# ~/.bash_aliases, instead of adding them here directly.
# See /usr/share/doc/bash-doc/examples in the bash-doc package.

#if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then
#   . ~/.bash_aliases
#fi

Uncomment (erase the #) the last three lines of that section. Then do

Code:

gedit .bash_aliases

and add your aliases to that file there. Then type

Code:

 bash

to restart bash and make it read your new aliases.

Hmm, 'gedit .bashrc' pulls up:

# .bashrc

# User specific aliases and functions

# Source global definitions
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
. /etc/bashrc
fi

Doesn't seem to match your instructions. I'm guessing I missed something else? Thanks for your help so far.

**escobar** · November 21st, 2005

Originally Posted by escobar

Hmm, 'gedit .bashrc' pulls up:

# .bashrc

# User specific aliases and functions

# Source global definitions
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
. /etc/bashrc
fi

Doesn't seem to match your instructions. I'm guessing I missed something else? Thanks for your help so far.

*bump*

**souled** · November 21st, 2005

I'm pretty sure you can add those three lines to your .bashrc that I had.

Or just add the whole section, just uncomment the last three lines. Leave the description commented if you decide to put it in your .bashrc.