Windows PowerShell Clear-History equivalent in Linux
Clears the current shell history list.
PowerShell Clear-History
history -c
history -c
history -c
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Clear-History" is used to clear shell history. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "history -c". Clears the current shell history list. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Shell History.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Clear-History maps to history -c for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Clear shell history
Clears the current shell history list.
history -c
Clear shell history
history --help
Show command help when supported
man history
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
history -c
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: PowerShell Clear-History
history -cReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
history -c | Clear shell history |
history --help | Show command help when supported |
man history | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "history -c" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | history -c |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | history -c |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | history -c |
Same command on this distribution. |
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