Linux Command: history

history displays the command history list, showing previously executed commands with their line numbers. It allows you to search, recall, and re-execute past commands, dramatically increasing shell productivity. Bash stores command history in memory during a session and saves it to ~/.bash_history on exit. The HISTSIZE variable controls how many commands are kept in memory, and HISTFILESIZE controls the file size. history supports searching (Ctrl+R), re-execution (!N, !!), and editing. Mastering history navigation is one of the biggest productivity gains for Linux users.

Syntax

history [OPTION]... [N]

Key Options

• N — Show last N commands
• -c — Clear the history list
• -d N — Delete entry number N
• -w — Write history to file
• -r — Read history from file
• -a — Append new entries to history file

Examples

Show recent commands

history 20

Output: 151 git status\n 152 git add .\n 153 git commit -m "fix"

Search history

history | grep ssh

Output: 45 ssh user@server1\n 89 ssh admin@server2

Re-execute last command

!!

Pro Tips

• Press Ctrl+R and type to search backwards through history. Press Ctrl+R again to find older matches. Enter to execute, Ctrl+G to cancel.
• Forgot sudo? Type sudo !! to re-run the last command with sudo. !! is replaced with the previous command.
• Commands with passwords appear in history. Use HISTCONTROL=ignorespace and prefix sensitive commands with a space to exclude them.

Learn more: Full history reference →