OSX Terminal: alt-left jump word ctrl-left go to start and more

By default OSX Terminal doesn't let you use many standard OSX text-editing shortcuts. For example, CMD or Control Left normally jumps to the start of the line. Alt-left jumps left one word. Also forward delete doesn't work.

Happily it's possible, though slightly confusing, to add these shortcuts back.

Here's how:

• Open Terminal Preferences
• In the Settings Pane, select Keyboard

• Click the + button

• Now let's add those shortcuts back.

For jump-to-start-of-line:

• Key: Cursor Left
• Modifier: Control
• Action: send string to shell: (the default)
• Click in the empty white box and press CTRL-A. \001 will appear

For jump-to-end-of-line:

• Key: Cursor Right
• Modifier: Control
• Action: send string to shell: (the default)
• Click in the empty white box and press CTRL-E. \005 will appear

To re-activate forward delete

• Key: forward delete
• Modifier: none
• Action: send string to shell: (the default)
• Click in the empty white box and press CTRL-D. \004 will appear

To move forwards one word at a time

• Key: cursor left
• Modifier: option
• Action: send string to shell: (the default)
• Click in the empty white box and press Escape+b. \033b will appear

To move backwards one word at a time

• Key: cursor right
• Modifier: option
• Action: send string to shell: (the default)
• Click in the empty white box and press Escape+f. \033f  will appear.

I find adding these shortcuts in makes terminal much more usable.