Linux Commands: Clear

In this guide, we will explore the clear command, which is used to clear the terminal screen. By using the clear command, you can remove all the previous commands from your current terminal session.

To clear the screen, simply type clear in the terminal and hit enter. Once you do that, the entire screen will be cleared, and you will only see the prompt at the top. This is especially useful when your terminal is cluttered with previous command outputs and you want a clean slate to work with.

It’s important to note that using the clear command will also remove the ability to scroll up and view the output of the previous commands you entered. If you need to refer back to previous work, you can use the clear -x option instead. This option clears the screen while still allowing you to scroll up and access the previous command outputs.

The clear command is available not only on Linux but also on macOS, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), and any UNIX environment you may be working in. It provides a consistent way to clear the terminal screen across different systems.

Shortcut Tip: For a quicker way to clear the screen, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-L instead of typing out the clear command.

So, next time you find yourself needing a clean terminal screen, remember the clear command and its variants to easily clear away the clutter!

tags: [“linux commands”, “terminal”, “clear command”, “UNIX environment”]