Shortcuts and key combinations

By default, Haiku's shortcut key, to invoke commands from menus for example, is not the usual CTRL key, but ALT instead. This has historical reasons, because the BeOS was inspired somewhat by MacOS. After you get used to it, it actually has advantages as e.g. ALT C and ALT V integrate seamlessly into the bash shell of the Terminal, where CTRL C quits the running process.

In any case, you can switch to the maybe more familiar CTRL key in the Keymap preferences. The user guide always describes the default configuration with the command key being ALT.

If you're in doubt which keys are the OPT or MENU keys on your particular keymap/keyboard-layout, again use the Keymap preferences. There you can see what keystroke is sent when you press a key on your keyboard.

index General shortcuts

Here's a table of many of the most commonly used shortcuts that are always available, even if there isn't a corresponding menu:

ALT FxSwitches to Workspace X (Fx is the function key corresponding to that workspace). Take the active window with you by adding SHIFT
CTRL ALT / / / Navigates spatially the rows/columns of the available workspaces. Add SHIFT to take the active window with you.
OPTHolding OPT while dragging a window near another window's tab or border will stack or tile them (see chapter GUI).
OPT / Cycles through the open windows within the current workspace.
CTRL ALT + left mouseClick and drag with left mouse button to move a window (see chapter GUI).
CTRL ALT + right mouseClick and drag with right mouse button to resize a window (see chapter GUI).
CTRL ALT ZZooms a window to an alternative size (maximum size for most applications).
CTRL ALT MMinimizes the active window.
CTRL ALT HHides (minimizes) all windows of the active application.
CTRL ALT FPulls the active window to the front (only applicable with the mouse setting Focus follows mouse).
CTRL ALT BSends the active window to the back.
CTRL TABHold down to bring up the Twitcher.
CTRL ALT DELOpens the Team Monitor.
ALT ESCEnters the menu bar (leave with ESC).
ALT CCopies the selection to the clipboard.
ALT XCuts the selection to the clipboard.
ALT VPastes the clipboard's contents.
ALT WCloses the active window.
ALT QQuits an application.
PRINTTakes a screenshot with zero delay and launches the Screenshot panel.
SHIFT PRINTTakes a screenshot silently (without opening the panel), while still respecting the last used settings.
CTRL PRINTAlso takes a screenshot silently with the saved settings, but instead of saving it as a file, it's just copied to the clipboard.

index Textediting shortcuts

Whenever you edit text – be it when renaming a file in Tracker, editing a file in StyledEdit, or chatting in Vision – there are some universal shortcuts:

ALT / or
OPT /
Jump word-wise through the text. (Note: It may be useful to get used to using the OPT combination. Then you're all set if some app already uses the ALT combination for another command.)
ALT BACKSPACE or
OPT BACKSPACE
Word-wise removing the text to the left of the cursor.
ALT DEL or
OPT DEL
Word-wise removing the text to the right of the cursor.
HOMEJumps to the beginning of the line.
ENDJumps to the end of the line.
ALT HOMEJumps to the beginning of the document.
ALT ENDJumps to the end of the document.

Holding SHIFT additionally when using the above key combinations will select the text between the cursor jumps.

index Shortcuts for Tracker navigation

Additionally to the general shortcuts, here are some more for navigating with Tracker:

ALT Opens the parent folder.
ALT or ENTEROpens the selected folder.
OPTHolding it while opening a folder will automatically close the parent folder. This also works when navigating with the mouse.
MENUOpens the Deskbar menu (leave with ESC).
ALT ZUndo last action. The undo history is only limited by the available memory. Note, this only works for actions on the file itself, changed attributes and permission settings can't be undone with this. Also, once a file is removed from Trash it's gone for good.
ALT SHIFT ZRedo the action you just reverted with ALT Z.
SHIFT + MousewheelWhen scrolling through a long list of files in a Tracker window or when you're drilling down submenus, this will speed things up by doing page-wise scrolling.

index Shortcuts in Terminal

ALT + left clickLeft-clicking on a path or URL while holding ALT opens it in the preferred application, e.g. folders in Tracker, pictures in ShowImage. You can limit the selected path by additionally holding SHIFT.
ALT NOpens another Terminal session in a new window.
ALT TOpens another Terminal session in a new tab.
ALT 1, 2, 3Switches to the corresponding tab.
ALT TABSwitches to the next Terminal window.
SHIFT / Switches to the tab to the left/right.
ALT SHIFT / Moves the current tab left/right.
ALT + / -Increase/Decrease font size.
ALT ENTEREnter/leave fullscreen mode.
SHIFT / Scrolls the Terminal output up/down one line.
SHIFT Page↑ / Page↓ Scrolls the Terminal output up/down one page.
TABTab-completion. After entering a few letters, press TAB once to auto-complete a filename or path. If there is more than one match, it stops where the name starts to differ and you have to provide some more letters to further distinguish them. You can also press TAB twice to have all matches listed.
/ Moves up or down in a history of all previously entered commands.
CTRL RBash history. All the commands you enter are stored in the file ~/config/settings/bash_history. Press CTRL R and start to enter a command and you'll be provided with the first match from the bash history. Keep pressing CTRL R until you find the right command line and press ENTER to execute it.
CTRL CStops the currently running command.
CTRL DCloses the current Terminal session.

index Other key combinations

You can add or remove items to/from a selection by holding down a modifier key while clicking on a entry (or file in case of Tracker).

SHIFTThis will select everything between the first selected item and the one you click on.
ALTAdds or removes the item you're clicking on from the selection.

In a Tracker window, if you just start typing, Tracker scrolls to and selects the file that best fits your incremental search. If there's no file starting with your typed letters, files that contain the search string anywhere in their name or other displayed attributes are selected. This search is not case-sensitive.
The letters you type appear at the bottom-left, where normally the number of items is listed. After a second it reverts back and you could start a new incremental search.
Instead of jumping to the first occurrence of your search string, Tracker can be configured to filter out all non-matching files. See the topic on type-ahead filtering.