How to Use History Command in Linux: Syntax and Examples

Use the history command in Linux to display a list of previously executed commands in your terminal. You can run history alone to see all past commands or use options like history N to show the last N commands.

Syntax

The basic syntax of the history command is simple and flexible:

• history: Shows all past commands with line numbers.
• history N: Shows the last N commands.
• !number: Re-executes the command with the given history number.
• !string: Re-executes the most recent command starting with string.

bash

history [N]
!number
!string

Example

This example shows how to list the last 5 commands and then rerun a specific command by its history number.

bash

history 5
!3

Output

  1  ls
  2  pwd
  3  echo "Hello World"
  4  date
  5  whoami
Hello World

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes include:

• Trying to use !number without checking the correct command number first, which can run unintended commands.
• Assuming history shows commands from all sessions; it only shows the current session's history unless saved.
• Not knowing that history commands are stored in a file (usually ~/.bash_history) and may require history -w to save manually.

bash

echo "Hello"
!10  # May run wrong command if 10 is not what you expect

# Correct way:
history 10  # Check commands first
!10        # Then run

Quick Reference

Command	Description
history	Show all commands in current session
history N	Show last N commands
!number	Run command by its history number
!string	Run last command starting with string
history -c	Clear the history list
history -w	Write current session history to file

Key Takeaways

Use history to view your past commands in the terminal.

Run a previous command quickly with !number or !string.

Always check the command number with history before re-executing to avoid mistakes.

History is session-based and saved to a file; use history -w to save manually.

Clear your history with history -c if needed for privacy.