How to Clear the Terminal History in Linux

The Linux Terminal stores every command you execute in a history file like .bash_history for Bash or .zsh_history for Zsh, making it convenient to access previous commands. However, this history can become a privacy or security issue, especially when dealing with sensitive tasks or working on shared systems.

In this article, we’ll explore four effective methods to clear terminal history in Linux.

Method 1: Clear the History Using the 'history' Command

The history command provides a straightforward way to view and clear your terminal history -

Step 1: Open the terminal using the shortcut CTRL + ALT + T, then type the following to view the current history:

history

Step 2: After opening the terminal, to clear the entire command history for the current session, we need to enter the following command:

history -c

Step 3: To verify whether the history is been cleared or not, we can once again use the history command. After executing the command, you can see the difference between Step 1 and the current step output.

history 

Method 2: Clearing the Terminal History by editing the Bash History File

In this method, we will be clearing the terminal history by editing the Bash history file (.bash_history).

Step 1: Open the terminal and enter the below command to see the existing contents of the Bash History File. This will return the overall existing history of the terminal.

vim ~/.bash_history

Step 2: Now, press the 'gg' to move to the beginning of the file.

Step 3: Next, press the "Shift + d" command twice to delete all the lines in the file. Save the file by using the command ":wq".

Step 4: To check whether the history is been cleared or not, we can use the history command in the terminal and see the results,

history

Method 3: Using the 'unset HISTFILE' Command to Clear the Terminal History in Linux

This method, allows us to temporarily disable the saving of command history for our current session by unsetting the 'HISTFILE' environment variable. Follow the below steps:

Step 1: Open the terminal and execute the below command to disable command history for the current session.

unset HISTFILE

Step 2: Now, after executing the above command the commands that will be further executed will not be stored in the history file. So to verify that, we can run many commands.

echo '"This command will not be saved"

Step 3: To verify whether the history is been saved or not, we can use the history command. You can see that the command that we executed in Step 2 is not saved in the history file

history

Method 4: Using the 'reset' Command to Clear the Terminal History in Linux

In this method, we will be using the reset builtin command to clear the terminal history. Follow the below steps to clear the terminal history using the reset command.

Step 1: Open the terminal by using the shortcut and execute the below command to check the existing history.

history

Step 2: Now, run the below command to clear the display and command history from the terminal.

reset

Step 3: To verify whether the terminal is reset or not, we can once again use the reset command in the terminal and see the difference between Step 1 and the current step.

history

Conclusion

Clearing the terminal history in Linux is an important step to protect your privacy and security, especially when working with sensitive data or shared systems. In this guide, we covered four effective methods: using the history command, editing the .bash_history file, unsetting the HISTFILE variable, and using the reset command.

Each method has its unique purpose, from completely wiping history to temporarily disabling it for specific sessions. By following the steps outlined, you can ensure your command history stays private and your terminal environment remains secure and clutter-free.