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Terminal · Open the line in your editor

Editing

Windows · Linux

Ctrl+X·Ctrl+E

Mac

Ctrl+X·Ctrl+E

Both systems use the same combination.

Opens the current line in $EDITOR and runs it when you save and quit; bash has this out of the box while zsh needs edit-command-line autoloaded and bound.

Group
Editing
Keys held
3

In a terminal Ctrl+C is not copy; it interrupts whatever is running. Copy is Ctrl+Shift+C in Windows Terminal and Cmd+C on a Mac.

Reading the key names

  • Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
  • On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
  • Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
  • With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
  • When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.

Common questions

Q. What is the shortcut for Open the line in your editor in Terminal?

Opens the current line in $EDITOR and runs it when you save and quit; bash has this out of the box while zsh needs edit-command-line autoloaded and bound. It is Ctrl+X Ctrl+E on Windows and Ctrl+X Ctrl+E on a Mac.

Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?

Yes, Ctrl+X Ctrl+E on both.

Q. How many keys is that?

3 pressed together. The combination sits under Editing in Terminal.

Shortcuts nearby