What do you use aliases for in terminal?

An alias in the terminal is nothing but a shortcut to commands. The alias command allows the user to launch any command or group of commands by entering a single word.

You can cut down typing time with these aliases, work smartly, and increase productivity at the command prompt.

What are some of the commands you use aliases for?

Comments

[okCharlo]

-='cd -'
...=../..
....=../../..
.....=../../../..
......=../../../../..
1='cd -'
2='cd -2'
3='cd -3'
4='cd -4'
5='cd -5'
6='cd -6'
7='cd -7'
8='cd -8'
9='cd -9'
_=sudo
afind='ack -il'
ampanalytics='amplify console analytics'
ampauth='amplify console auth'
ampfunction='amplify console function'
ampstorage='amplify console storage'
apacherl='sudo apachectl restart'

back-packages='dpkg --get-selections | grep -v deinstall > ~/20201009_16_01_31--installed-packages--USERNAME.local'
cdprofile='cd ~/.profile_scripts; la'
cdweb='cd ~/Sites'
cheatsheet='vim ~/cheatsheet/cheatsheet.md'
chrome='open -a Google\ Chrome'
cl='clear && echo '\''\U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E  \U1F60E'\'
composer='php ~/.composer/composer.phar'
d='dirs -v | head -10'
dc=docker-compose
dex='docker exec -i -t'
di='docker images'
did='dockviz images --dot'
dip='docker inspect --format '\''{{ .NetworkSettings.IPAddress }}'\'
dis='dockviz images --short'
dit='dockviz images --tree'
dkd='docker run -d -P'
dki='docker run -i -t -P'
dl='docker ps -l -q'
dockviz='docker run -it --rm -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock nate/dockviz'
dpa='docker ps -a'
dps='docker ps'
dpsa='docker ps -a'
drmc='docker container rm '
drmcf='docker container rm -f'
drmf='docker stop $(docker ps -a -q) && docker rm $(docker ps -a -q)'
dvls='docker volume ls'
dvp='docker volume prune'
g=git
ga='git add'
gaa='git add --all'
gapa='git add --patch'
gb='git branch'
gba='git branch -a'
gbas='git branch --sort=-committerdate --all'
gbd='git branch -d'
gbda='git branch --no-color --merged | command grep -vE "^(\*|\s*(master|develop|dev)\s*$)" | command xargs -n 1 git branch -d'
gbl='git blame -b -w'
gbnm='git branch --no-merged'
gbr='git branch --remote'
gbs='git bisect'
gbsb='git bisect bad'
gbsg='git bisect good'
gbsr='git bisect reset'
gbss='git bisect start'
gc='git commit -v'
'gc!'='git commit -v --amend'
gca='git commit -v -a'
'gca!'='git commit -v -a --amend'
gcam='git commit -a -m'
'gcan!'='git commit -v -a --no-edit --amend'
'gcans!'='git commit -v -a -s --no-edit --amend'
gcb='git checkout -b'
gcd='git checkout develop'
gcf='git config --list'
gcgb='gulp clean; gulp build'
gcl='git clone --recursive'
gclean='git clean -fd'
gcm='git checkout master'
gcmsg='git commit -m'
'gcn!'='git commit -v --no-edit --amend'
gco='git checkout'
gcoa='git commit --amend'
gcount='git shortlog -sn'
gcp='git cherry-pick'
gcpa='git cherry-pick --abort'
gcpc='git cherry-pick --continue'
gcs='git commit -S'
gcsm='git commit -s -m'
gd='git diff'
gdca='git diff --cached'
gdct='git describe --tags `git rev-list --tags --max-count=1`'
gdt='git diff-tree --no-commit-id --name-only -r'
gdw='git diff --word-diff'
gf='git fetch'
gfa='git fetch --all --prune'
gfo='git fetch origin'
gg='git gui citool'
gga='git gui citool --amend'
gglbc='git pull origin-bc master'
ggpbc='git push origin-bc master'
ggpull='git pull origin $(git_current_branch)'
ggpur=ggu
ggpush='git push origin $(git_current_branch)'
ggsup='git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/$(git_current_branch)'
ghh='git help'
gignore='git update-index --assume-unchanged'
gignored='git ls-files -v | grep "^[[:lower:]]"'
git-svn-dcommit-push='git svn dcommit && git push github master:svntrunk'
gk='\gitk --all --branches'
gke='\gitk --all $(git log -g --pretty=%h)'
gl='git pull'
glg='git log --stat'
glgg='git log --graph'
glgga='git log --graph --decorate --all'
glgm='git log --graph --max-count=10'
glgp='git log --stat -p'
glgpretty='git log --oneline --graph --pretty=format:"%h%x09%an%x09%ad%x09%s"'
glo='git log --oneline --decorate'
globurl='noglob urlglobber '
glog='git log --oneline --decorate --graph'
gloga='git log --oneline --decorate --graph --all'
glol='git log --graph --pretty='\''%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset'\'' --abbrev-commit'
glola='git log --graph --pretty='\''%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset'\'' --abbrev-commit --all'
glp=_git_log_prettily
glum='git pull upstream master'
gm='git merge'
gmom='git merge origin/master'
gmt='git mergetool --no-prompt'
gmtvim='git mergetool --no-prompt --tool=vimdiff'
gmum='git merge upstream/master'
gp='git push'
gpd='git push --dry-run'
gpoat='git push origin --all && git push origin --tags'
gpristine='git reset --hard && git clean -dfx'
gpsup='git push --set-upstream origin $(git_current_branch)'
gpu='git push upstream'
gpv='git push -v'
gr='git remote'
gra='git remote add'
grb='git rebase'
grba='git rebase --abort'
grbc='git rebase --continue'
grbi='git rebase -i'
grbm='git rebase master'
grbs='git rebase --skip'
grep='grep  --color=auto --exclude-dir={.bzr,CVS,.git,.hg,.svn}'
grh='git reset HEAD'
grhh='git reset HEAD --hard'
grmv='git remote rename'
grrm='git remote remove'
grset='git remote set-url'
grt='cd $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel || echo ".")'
gru='git reset --'
grup='git remote update'
grv='git remote -v'
gsb='git status -sb'
gsd='git svn dcommit'
gsi='git submodule init'
gsps='git show --pretty=short --show-signature'
gsr='git svn rebase'
gss='git status -s'
gst='git status'
gsta='git stash save'
gstaa='git stash apply'
gstc='git stash clear'
gstd='git stash drop'
gstl='git stash list'
gstp='git stash pop'
gsts='git stash show --text'
gsu='git submodule update'
gts='git tag -s'
gtv='git tag | sort -V'
gunignore='git update-index --no-assume-unchanged'
gunwip='git log -n 1 | grep -q -c "\-\-wip\-\-" && git reset HEAD~1'
gup='git pull --rebase'
gupv='git pull --rebase -v'
gwch='git whatchanged -p --abbrev-commit --pretty=medium'
gwip='git add -A; git rm $(git ls-files --deleted) 2> /dev/null; git commit --no-verify -m "--wip-- [skip ci]"'
history='fc -l 1'
l='ls -lah'
la='ls -lAh'
ll='ls -lh'
ls='ls -G'
lsa='ls -lah'
makegif='~/byzanz-gui'
md='mkdir -p'
opend='open .'
pg-start='launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.postgresql.plist'
pg-stop='launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.postgresql.plist'
please=sudo
po=popd
pu=pushd
rd=rmdir
rl='source ~/.zshrc'
run-help=man
rvm-restart='rvm_reload_flag=1 source '\''/Users/usersname/.rvm/scripts/rvm'\'
sshwidmee='ssh widmee@163.172.217.14'
subl='/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl'
which-command=whence
wpdbscp='wp db export --exclude_tables=wp_options,wp_users; scp *.sql root@myserverip_OR_url:~/uploads/; rm *.sql'

[Ian Pride]

If you are using Bash you can automate creating your aliases you have for:

...='cd ../..'

etc...

by looping a range of numbers (of your choice, of course) to create each alias in sequence:

dota='...' # Preset alias starting point, key
dotb='../../' # Preset match starting point, value
for int in {1..20}; do
    alias ${dota}='cd '"${dotb}" # Create the next alias 
    dota="${dota}"'.' # increment key string
    dotb="${dotb}"'../' # increment value string
done
unset int dota dotb # cleanup

In this way you can set more than just a few aliases of this sort and go back as many as 20 directories (or more, of course). Seems pointless or redundant to some, but I find myself navigating dirs this way often lol; maybe I'm just weird. If you're not interested then I'll just remove this post...

The only reason I posted is because I already do it this way and when I seen your post here I thought you or someone else might be interested in my method.

[Louis Low]

The ... (dot dot dot...) is genius!

[Madza]

Damn, this is nuts! 👀😮
Massive thanks for sharing all of these 😍💯

[scroung720]

[Blue]

Thanks for reminding me how lazy I am :D

alias sysup='yay -Syu --noconfirm && yay -Syu --aur --noconfirm'
alias l=k
alias g='git'
alias y='yarn'
alias yl='yarn lint --fix'
alias yt='yarn test'
alias src='cd ~/sources'
alias aliases='code ~/.zaliases'
alias cp="cp -i" # Confirm before overwriting something
alias df='df -h' # Human-readable sizes
alias free='free -m' # Show sizes in MB
alias gitu='git add . && git commit && git push'
alias deploy='yarn lint --fix && yarn deploy'

[scroung720]

[Madza]

Some useful and often used commands there 😉
Thanks for the input 👍

[Sergey Kislyakov]

I don't use them. In before, I used some for git (e.g. git ci = git commit -m and so on), but I find it better to type everything manually, so if I do something on my server, I'm not lost because there are no aliases. It also improves my mind a bit because I have to remember things.

[Stephen Whitmore]

alias pubip="curl -s checkip.dyndns.org | sed -e 's/.*Current IP Address: //' -e 's/<.*$//'"
alias netreset="sudo service network-manager restart"
alias bluetoothrestart="sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart"
alias readmail="cat /var/spool/mail/$USER | less"
alias purgebranches="git branch | grep -v "master" | xargs git branch -D"
alias systeminfo="inxi -Fxz"

[Mickaël]

ccache=symfony console cache:clear
erase=symfony console doctrine:database:drop -n --force
fix=symfony console doctrine:fixtures:load -n
make=symfony console make:$*
migr=symfony console d:m:m
run=symfony server:start -d
sql=php bin/console doctrine:query:sql $*
stop=symfony server:stop
syc=symfony console $*
unalias=alias /d $1

[okCharlo]

Hey yo !

Glad the alias list I shared is helpful to a few :)

To try to keep it organised, I split aliases by concern.
This is an excerpt of my .zshrc (it's like .bashrc):

echo "\U1F608" " ZSHRC loaded"

# Add .profile_scripts/.general
source ~/.profile_scripts/.general

# Add .profile_scripts/.git
source ~/.profile_scripts/.git

# Add .profile_scripts/.docker
source ~/.profile_scripts/.docker

# Add .profile_scripts/.projects
source ~/.profile_scripts/.projects

cheers

[peter279k]

On Ubuntu operating system, I create alias named update_package and it means sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade.

It can help me to update and upgrade packages easily on my Linux operating system.

[Rei Allen Ramos]

add

alias please="sudo"

to keep it wholesome and in good taste.

[Tim Bryan]

I too have done this in the past - just feels more polite (and may save us during the robotic uprising)

[Jorge L, Morla]

c='clear'

[Rei Allen Ramos]

if you're lazy like me, CTRL+L

[Amy Crane]

alias 'ls'='ls -la'
alias 'aws-whoami'='aws sts get-caller-identity'

[Pacharapol Withayasakpunt]

I used to use gi.

[Em Ji Madhu]

I don't use aliases. But I use zsh with auto completion plugin.