Linux History: Not clearing between -

stacksofplates

@gjacobse said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

History is a great tool to have - But it has gotten a bit long on the Ubuntu system I have running.

Accessing from Windows - it's aver 180 lines now,.. and I've cleared it via history -c. Yet when I access the same system from Termius all 180(+) lines are there. Running history -c clears, but then on Windows - it's still there.

This is using the same sign-on, just a different device in which the system is accessed.

To not make assumptions - am I interrupting how the -c works incorrectly? Or should it indeed clear it regardless of access source?

which Ubuntu? There was a bug in older ones (maybe current too not sure) that it didn't clear the history.

You can try history -cw but if that doesn't work just echo "" > ~/.bash_history

gjacobse

@EddieJennings said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

https://eshlox.net/2017/08/01/bash-increase-command-history-size

You'll be decreasing the size instead

I don't know that the size is so much of an issue as the inability of deleting it. Having 200 lines is fine -

gjacobse

So - this is my confusion now:

root@TuDallasNC:~# echo "$HISTFILE"
/root/.bash_history
root@TuDallasNC:~# sudo vi /root/bash_history

~
~
~
~

The listed history file is - well - blank. But obviously - it isn't as it's now 202 lines (default seems to be set to 1000)

Incidently - when I do execute the history -c it clears - but when i re-connect it is still there.

jmoore

@gjacobse wouldn't the . be part of the filename though? So it would be "sudo vi /root/.bash_history"

gjacobse

@jmoore said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

@gjacobse wouldn't the . be part of the filename though? So it would be "sudo vi /root/.bash_history"

Quite true indeed - so I missed i there,.. but didn't here: 190 sudo nano ~/.bash.history

gjacobse

This has been helpful - I've managed to edit the file, and after making a backup, and editing it down to clear out the garbage.

DustinB3403

You also could've run history -d linenumber to have removed things that were incorrect or frivolous.

scottalanmiller

@gjacobse said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

History is a great tool to have - But it has gotten a bit long on the Ubuntu system I have running.

A bit long would be like.... 100,000 lines?

scottalanmiller

@gjacobse said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

This has been helpful - I've managed to edit the file, and after making a backup, and editing it down to clear out the garbage.

It's a history, clearing stuff out doesn't really make sense.

gjacobse

@DustinB3403 said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

You also could've run history -d linenumber to have removed things that were incorrect or frivolous.

Done that also - didn't do anymore than history -c did.

DustinB3403

@scottalanmiller said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

@gjacobse said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

This has been helpful - I've managed to edit the file, and after making a backup, and editing it down to clear out the garbage.

It's a history, clearing stuff out doesn't really make sense.

It does if he wants to document a process to getting something to work and only having valid commands visible.

If he had a typo or whatever else, leaving that in the history could cause issues later.

IRJ

@scottalanmiller said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

@gjacobse said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

This has been helpful - I've managed to edit the file, and after making a backup, and editing it down to clear out the garbage.

It's a history, clearing stuff out doesn't really make sense.

And could possibly be seen as malicious intent.

IRJ

@DustinB3403 said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

@scottalanmiller said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

@gjacobse said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

This has been helpful - I've managed to edit the file, and after making a backup, and editing it down to clear out the garbage.

It's a history, clearing stuff out doesn't really make sense.

It does if he wants to document a process to getting something to work and only having valid commands visible.

If he had a typo or whatever else, leaving that in the history could cause issues later.

Still doesnt make sense, because if you know which line is incorrect, just dont copy that line. You still have to know which line is incorrect to delete

scottalanmiller

@DustinB3403 said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

It does if he wants to document a process to getting something to work and only having valid commands visible.

History isn't documentation once it is edited.

IRJ

@scottalanmiller said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

@DustinB3403 said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

It does if he wants to document a process to getting something to work and only having valid commands visible.

History isn't documentation

I fixed it for you

IRJ

Also, what if an incorrect command screws something up? Then you lose your ability to check history for troubleshooting. You should never be deleting any history.

stacksofplates

@IRJ said in Linux History: Not clearing between -:

Also, what if an incorrect command screws something up? Then you lose your ability to check history for troubleshooting. You should never be deleting any history.

I use zsh with autocomplete so I rely on history pretty heavily

Solved Linux History: Not clearing between -