Readline

The essentials

C-a

Beginning of linebeginning-of-line

C-e

End of lineend-of-line

M-b

Back one wordbackward-word

M-f

Forward one wordforward-word

C-u

Cut to the beginningunix-line-discard

C-k

Cut to the endkill-line

C-w

Cut the previous wordunix-word-rubout

M-d

Cut the next wordkill-word

C-y

Paste the last cutyank

M-y

Cycle earlier cutsyank-pop

C-r

Search history backwardreverse-search-history

M-.

Insert the last argumentyank-last-arg

C-_

Undoundo

C-l

Clear and redrawclear-screen

Movement

Characters and words

C-b: Back one character backward-char
C-f: Forward one character forward-char
M-b: Back one word backward-word
M-f: Forward one word forward-word
C-]: Move to the next occurrence of a character character-search

Lines and history

C-a: Beginning of line beginning-of-line
C-e: End of line end-of-line
C-p: Previous history entry previous-history
C-n: Next history entry next-history
M-<: First history entry beginning-of-history
M->: Current, unfinished line end-of-history

Editing

Cut and paste

C-u: Cut backward to the beginning of the line unix-line-discard
C-k: Cut forward to the end of the line kill-line
C-w: Cut the previous whitespace-delimited word unix-word-rubout
M-DEL: Cut the previous Readline word backward-kill-word
M-d: Cut through the end of the next word kill-word
C-y: Paste the newest cut yank
M-y: After yanking, replace it with the previous cut yank-pop

Readline calls cutting killing, pasting yanking, and its clipboard history the kill ring.

Change

C-d: Delete the character under the cursor delete-char
C-t: Transpose two characters transpose-chars
M-t: Transpose two words transpose-words
M-u: Uppercase the word upcase-word
M-l: Lowercase the word downcase-word
M-c: Capitalize the word capitalize-word
C-_: Undo one change undo
M-r: Undo every change to this history line revert-line
C-v: Insert the next character literally quoted-insert

History and completion

Find and reuse

C-r: Incrementally search backward reverse-search-history
C-s: Incrementally search forward forward-search-history
M-p: Search backward for a string non-incremental-reverse-search-history
M-n: Search forward for a string non-incremental-forward-search-history
M-.: Insert the previous command's last argument; repeat to go further back yank-last-arg
C-o: Run this line, then fetch the following history entry operate-and-get-next

C-s may freeze output when terminal flow control is enabled. C-q resumes it; stty -ixon disables it.

Complete

TAB: Complete the text before the cursor complete
M-?: List possible completions possible-completions
M-*: Insert every possible completion insert-completions

Further along

Mark and region

C-@: Set the mark set-mark
C-x C-x: Exchange the cursor and mark exchange-point-and-mark

Repeat

M-0…9: Give the next command a numeric argument digit-argument
C-x (: Start recording a keyboard macro start-kbd-macro
C-x ): Stop recording end-kbd-macro
C-x e: Run the last macro call-last-kbd-macro

Control

C-g: Abort the current editing command abort
C-l: Clear the screen and redraw the line clear-screen
M-#: Comment out and accept the line insert-comment
C-x C-r: Reload the Readline init file re-read-init-file
M-x: Run a command by name execute-named-command

Your bindings

Ask Readline

bind -P
bind -q backward-kill-word
bind -v

bind -P prints functions and bindings. bind -q finds the keys for one function. bind -v prints variables and values.

~/.inputrc

set editing-mode emacs
set completion-ignore-case on
set show-all-if-ambiguous on

Readline starts in Emacs mode. Use set editing-mode vi for its vi-style insertion and command modes.