SUSE LINUX Documentation - Index of

98 Start-Up
To list the contents of home directories of other users, enter ls ~username . In the
example directory tree in Figure 3.4, “Excerpt from a Standard Directory Tree”
(page 94), one of the sample users is tux. In this case, ls ~tux would list the contents
of the home directory of tux.
NOTE: Handling Blanks in Filenames or Directory Names
If a filename contains a space, either escape the space using a back slash (\)
in front of the blank or enclose the filename in single or double quotes. Otherwise
Bash interprets a filename like My Documents as the names of two files
or directories. The difference between single and double quotes is that variable
expansion takes place within double quotes. Single quotes ensure that the shell
sees the quoted string literally.
3.1.4 Useful Features of the Shell
Entering commands in Bash can include a lot of typing. In the following, get to know
some features of the Bash that can make your work a lot easier and save a lot of typing.
History and Completion
By default, Bash “remembers” commands you have entered. This feature is called
history. To repeat a command that has been entered before, press ↑ until the previous
command appears at the prompt. You can also move forward through the list of
previously entered commands by pressing ↓ . You always have the chance to edit this
command, for example, changing the name of a file, before you execute the command
by pressing Enter . To edit the command line, just move the cursor to the desired position
using the arrow keys and start typing. Use Ctrl + R to search in the history.
Completing a filename or directory name to its full length after typing its first letters
is another helpful feature of Bash. To do so, type the first letters then press →| . If
the filename or path can be uniquely identified it is completed at once and the cursor
moves to the end of the filename. You can then enter the next option of the command,
if necessary. If the filename or path cannot be uniquely identified (because there are
several filenames starting with the same letters), the filename or path is only completed
up to the point where again several options are possible. You can then obtain a list of
them by pressing →| a second time. After this, you can enter the next letters of the
file or path then try completion again by pressing →| . When completing filenames