wiki:doc/common/actions
Last modified 12 years ago Last modified on 02/25/12 13:10:58

Actions and default shortcuts

Fundamentals of Midnight Commander shortcuts

Explanation to the description of key combinations

Keyboard combinations are selected by modifiers. Following modifiers are used in mc:

  • Ctrl - "Control" key or "Ctrl";
  • Meta - "Alternate" key, or "Alt", or "Meta", also can be replaced with a single "Esc" or "Escape";
  • Esc - "Escape" key or "Esc";
  • Shift - "Shift" key. It may also appear on the keyboard as a pointer showing up below the keys "Caps Lock" or below the key "Enter".

The simultaneous pressing of several keys

If you need to press multiple keys simultaneously, then that pressing is described as the summation. For example, if you need to press "Control" and "r", it would be described as:

Ctrl+r

If you need to press the keyboard combination with uppercase letters (for example Ctrl and R):

Ctrl+Shift+r

keyboard key combination with Meta modificator described similarly:

Meta+r
Meta+Shift+r

Simultaneous pressing does not mean literally the same time - you must press the modifier, then the required key, then release the key modifier. For example, to enter the combination of Meta+r:

  • Push Alt key and not released it;
  • Push the r key and immediately released it;
  • Release Alt key.

In the case of adding a Shift modifier (Meta + Shift + R, for example), the steps that:

  • Push Alt key and not released it;
  • Push Shift key and not released it;
  • Push r key and immediately released it;
  • Release Shift key;
  • Release Alt key.

Successive pressing of several keys

If you need to press a first key (or keyboard combination) and then the second such action is recorded as a sequence, separated by commas. For example, press a Ctrl+p a combination, and then further to press "p", it would be described as follows:

Ctrl+p,p

Or, if you need to click twice Ctrl+p:

Ctrl+p,Ctrl+p

Several shortcuts on one action

Each keyboard combination for some one action is described with a new line. Below are tables of keyboard combinations, and actions to which they are linked

File manager actions

File panel actions

ActionDefault shortcutDescription
UpUp, C-pmove the selection bar to the previous entry in the panel
DownDown, C-nmove the selection bar to the next entry in the panel
LeftLeftmove the selection bar to the left
RightRightmove the selection bar to the right
PageUpPgUp, Alt-vmove the selection bar one page up
PageDownPgDn, Alt-pmove the selection bar one page down
TopHome, a1, Alt-<move the selection bar to the first entry in the panel
BottomEnd, c1, Alt->move the selection bar to the last entry in the panel
TopOnScreenAlt-gmove the selection bar to the first visible entry in the panel
MiddleOnScreenAlt-rmove the selection bar to the middle visible entry in the panel
BottomOnScreenAlt-jmove the selection bar to the last visible entry in the panel
CopySingleShift-F5, F15
MoveSingleShift-F6, F16
DeleteSingleShift-F8, F18
SearchCtrl-s, Alt-sstart a quick filename search in the directory listing
SelectCodepageAlt-echange charset of current panel
HistoryAlt-Hshow the directory history
HistoryNextAlt-umove to the next directory in the history
HistoryPrevAlt-ymove to the previous directory in the history
EditNewShift-F4, F14
ViewRawShift-F3, F13
Select+ ('plus' key)select (tag) a group of files
Unselect\ ('backslash' key)unselect a group of files
SelectInvertAlt-*invert selection on the current panel
PanelOtherSyncAlt-imake the current directory of the current panel also the current directory of the other panel
PanelOtherCdAlt-oIf the currently selected file is a directory, load that directory on the other panel and moves the selection to the next file.
If the currently selected file is not a directory, load the parent directory on the other panel and moves the selection to the next file
PanelOtherCdLinkAlt-lIf the currently selected file is a link to the directory, load that directory on the other panel and moves the selection to the next file
CdChildCtrl-PgDnmove to the child directory
CdParentCtrl-PgUpmove to the parent directory
CdParentSmart move to the parent directory only if command line is empty, else erase the previous character in the command line
MarkIns, Ctrl-ttag or untag files. To untag files, just retag a tagged file
MarkDownShift-Downtag file and move the selection bar to the next entry
MarkUpShift-Uptag file and move the selection bar to the previous entry
EnterEnter
Sort
SortReverse
SortPrev
SortNext
SortByName
SortByExt
SortBySize
ScrollLeft scroll long file names in panel to the left
ScrollRight scroll long file names in panel to the right

Common dialog actions

Input line actions

Listbox actions

Help viewer actions

Internal viewer actions

Internal editor actions

Internal diffviewer actions