The Complete Guide to Linux Aliases: Make Your Shell 10x Faster

If you work in the terminal regularly, you've definitely typed the same commands dozens of times. git status. docker-compose up -d. cd /home/user/projects/myapp/frontend/src.

All of that can become an alias. This guide covers everything you need to know about the alias command — from the basics to advanced patterns, real-world shortcut collections, and oh-my-zsh integration.

What is an alias?

An alias is a shortcut: you give a long or complex command a shorter name, and use that name instead. macOS and most Linux distros come with several aliases already defined. Run alias with no arguments to see them:

bash

alias

Typical output on Ubuntu:

bash

alias egrep='egrep --color=auto'
alias fgrep='fgrep --color=auto'
alias grep='grep --color=auto'
alias l='ls -CF'
alias la='ls -A'
alias ll='ls -alF'
alias ls='ls --color=auto'

So ll is a shortcut for ls -alF. Two characters instead of eight, and you get a detailed listing with colors and indicators.

Basic syntax

bash

alias name='command string'

A few things to keep in mind:

No spaces around = — that's a syntax error
Wrap the command in single or double quotes if it contains spaces or options
Single quotes prevent variable expansion; double quotes allow it

Quick examples to get started:

bash

alias ll='ls -alh --color=auto'
alias la='ls -A'
alias ..='cd ..'
alias ...='cd ../..'
alias gs='git status'

Run these in your terminal and they work immediately — but only for the current session. Close the terminal and they're gone.

Making aliases permanent: .bashrc and .zshrc

To keep your aliases across sessions, write them to your shell's config file.

First, check which shell you're using:

bash

echo $SHELL

bash → ~/.bashrc (interactive shell) or ~/.bash_profile (login shell)
zsh → ~/.zshrc

Open the file in your preferred editor:

bash

# vim
vim ~/.bashrc

# nano (beginner-friendly)
nano ~/.bashrc

# VS Code
code ~/.bashrc

Add your aliases at the bottom. I find it helpful to group them with a comment:

bash

# ===========================
# My Aliases
# ===========================

# Navigation
alias ..='cd ..'
alias ...='cd ../..'
alias ....='cd ../../..'
alias home='cd ~'
alias proj='cd ~/projects'

# ls shortcuts
alias ll='ls -alh --color=auto'
alias la='ls -A --color=auto'
alias lt='ls -lt --color=auto'    # sort by time
alias lz='ls -lS --color=auto'    # sort by size

# Common shortcuts
alias c='clear'
alias h='history'
alias q='exit'
alias reload='source ~/.bashrc'   # or source ~/.zshrc for zsh

After saving, apply the changes to the current session:

bash

source ~/.bashrc
# or
. ~/.bashrc

Useful alias collections

Git

If you use Git daily, these will save a significant amount of typing:

bash

# Basic Git
alias gs='git status'
alias ga='git add'
alias gaa='git add .'
alias gc='git commit -m'
alias gca='git commit -am'
alias gp='git push'
alias gpl='git pull'
alias gd='git diff'
alias gl='git log --oneline --graph --decorate'
alias gb='git branch'
alias gco='git checkout'
alias gcb='git checkout -b'
alias gst='git stash'
alias gstp='git stash pop'

# Compound operations
alias gpush='git push origin $(git branch --show-current)'
alias gundo='git reset --soft HEAD~1'    # undo last commit, keep changes
alias gclean='git restore .'             # discard all working tree changes (modern syntax, Git 2.23+)

Docker and Docker Compose

bash

alias d='docker'
alias dc='docker compose'
alias dcu='docker compose up -d'
alias dcd='docker compose down'
alias dcr='docker compose restart'
alias dcl='docker compose logs -f'
alias dps='docker ps'
alias dpsa='docker ps -a'
alias dclean='docker system prune -f'

# Enter a running container
dexec() {
  docker exec -it "$1" bash
}

System administration

bash

# Network
alias myip='curl -s ifconfig.me'
alias localip='ip addr show | grep "inet " | grep -v 127.0.0.1'

# Disk and memory
alias df='df -h'
alias du='du -sh'
alias free='free -h'

# Process search
alias psg='ps aux | grep'     # usage: psg nginx

# Check which process is using a port
portcheck() {
  lsof -i :"$1"
}

# File search
alias ff='find . -name'       # usage: ff "*.log"

Development

bash

# Node.js / npm
alias ni='npm install'
alias nid='npm install --save-dev'
alias nr='npm run'
alias ns='npm start'
alias nt='npm test'
alias nb='npm run build'

# Python
alias py='python3'
alias pip='pip3'
alias venv='python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate'
alias activate='source venv/bin/activate'

# Quick local HTTP server
alias serve='python3 -m http.server 8080'

Shell functions: when aliases aren't enough

Aliases don't handle arguments very well. When you need to pass arguments, use a shell function instead. They go in the same .bashrc / .zshrc file:

bash

# Make a directory and cd into it immediately
mkcd() {
  mkdir -p "$1" && cd "$1"
}

# Search file contents recursively
# (named rgfind to avoid shadowing the system fgrep command)
rgfind() {
  grep -r "$1" . --include="$2"
}
# usage: rgfind "TODO" "*.js"

# Create a timestamped backup of a file
bak() {
  cp "$1" "$1.bak_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)"
}
# usage: bak config.json → creates config.json.bak_20260227_143022

# Kill whatever is running on a port
killport() {
  lsof -t -i:"$1" | xargs kill -9
}
# usage: killport 3000

oh-my-zsh: get hundreds of aliases instantly

If you use zsh with oh-my-zsh, you can enable plugins that add a large number of well-designed aliases without having to write them yourself.

Edit the plugins=(...) line in ~/.zshrc:

bash

plugins=(
  git
  docker
  docker-compose
  npm
  python
  z
)

The git plugin alone adds 150+ aliases — gst for git status, gco for git checkout, and so on. Run alias | grep ^g to see the full list.

The z plugin is especially powerful: it learns your directory navigation habits and lets you jump to any previously visited directory by typing part of its name:

bash

z proj   # jumps to ~/projects if you've been there before

Managing your aliases

Check what a specific alias does

bash

alias gs
# output: alias gs='git status'

Temporarily bypass an alias

If a command is shadowed by an alias and you want to run the original, prefix it with \:

bash

# Even if ls is aliased, this runs the real ls with no color
\ls

Delete an alias

bash

unalias gs        # remove the gs alias
unalias -a        # remove ALL aliases (use with caution)

Safe workflow for editing .bashrc

bash

# Back up first
cp ~/.bashrc ~/.bashrc.backup

# Edit
vim ~/.bashrc

# Check for syntax errors (bash only)
bash -n ~/.bashrc

# Apply if no errors
source ~/.bashrc

Common issues

"command not found" after adding an alias

You probably forgot to run source ~/.bashrc. Also check for typos — make sure there are no spaces around the = sign.

bash

alias | grep aliasname

Paths with spaces cause errors

Always quote paths that contain spaces:

bash

# Wrong
alias mydir='cd /home/user/My Projects'

# Right
alias mydir='cd "/home/user/My Projects"'

Using one alias inside another

Aliases are only expanded one level deep by default. If you need to reference another alias inside an alias, use a function instead.

Wrapping up

Aliases are for two things: commands you type constantly, and options you can never remember. Start with just a few, and add more whenever you catch yourself typing the same thing repeatedly.

Get started right now:

Run alias to see what's already defined
Open ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc and add your own aliases section
Run source ~/.bashrc to apply the changes

Once you've built up a solid set of aliases, move on to shell functions for anything that needs arguments. Over time, your shell config becomes a productivity tool that's tailored exactly to how you work.