Quick Tip

Taming Terminal Echo: Control Input Display with `stty`

Challenge: Sometimes, when interacting with scripts or programs that expect specific input, or when debugging terminal behavior, you might want to control whether the characters you type are displayed on the screen immediately (echoed).

The Solution: The `stty` command can be used to toggle terminal echo on and off.

stty -echo

Why it works: The `stty -echo` command modifies the terminal settings to disable the echoing of characters as they are typed. This is particularly useful for securely reading passwords or sensitive information without them appearing on the screen.

Pro-Tip: To re-enable echoing, run stty echo. You can also temporarily disable echo within a script using a subshell and `read -s` to capture input without displaying it.

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 7/1/2026