The default prompt is “>”, this can be altered by setting the value of the PS1 shell variable. Commands can be entered at the prompt and executed by pressing return.

If an error is made while typing a command the left and right arrow keys can be used to position the cursor and insert or delete characters.

Once a command has been executed it may be recalled by using the up arrow, indeed several commands are stored in the command history to a depth determined by the shell.hist parameter. By using the up and down arrow keys the desired line in the history may be selected. The command may then optionally be edited and then executed by pressing return.

Depending on the terminal in use some standard control characters can be used, for example Control U to clear a line.