how to insert newline in a already existing BASH string on the command line

Question

Suppose I have typed and executed a long BASH command on the command line. Now I want to split it up. So with the history I have my long command again, but now I cannot give Enter to insert a newline. How do you do that?

Answer 1

You can use two shortcuts to do that ctrl + k and ctrl + y:

echo "some command" && echo "some other long command"

Now move cursor somewhere (in my example, cursor is marked by >):

echo "some command" && > echo "some other command"

Now press ctrl + k - this will cut everything after a cursor:

echo "some command" && >

Now put \ (backslash) and press enter:

echo "some command" && \
>

And now paste the part you've previously cut by ctrl + y:

echo "some command" && \
echo "some other long command"

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Edit: to move more easily around in a long command, you can use shortcuts:

• alt + b - move one word backwards (on Mac OS X: ESC + b)
• alt + f - move one word forwards (on Mac OS X: ESC + f)

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Ultra-solution

You can also open current line in a editor using Ctrl-x + Ctrl-e (two shortcuts, one after another). Then edit it just as a regular text file, save & quit and voila, edited command will execute.

If you want to choose which editor to use, just set EDITOR environment variable.