Linux in a Nutshell, 6th Edition

Absolutely Essential Commands

If you’re just getting started with Emacs, here’s a short list of the most important commands.

Keystrokes	Description
C-h	Enter the online help system.
C-x C-s	Save the file.
C-x C-c	Exit Emacs.
C-x u	Undo last edit (can be repeated).
C-g	Get out of current command operation.
C-p	Move up to the previous line.
C-n	Move down to the next line.
C-f	Move forward one character.
C-b	Move backward one character.
C-v	Move forward by one screen.
M-v	Move backward by one screen
C-s	Search forward for characters.
C-r	Search backward for characters.
C-d	Delete the current character.
Del	Delete the previous character.