Quick Tip

Taming Terminal Echo with `stty`

Challenge: Sometimes, when interacting with specific remote systems or serial consoles, you might encounter issues where characters you type appear twice, or there’s an unwanted echo of your input making typing difficult.

The Solution: The `stty` command can be used to control terminal settings, including input echoing. To disable local echoing temporarily, use:

stty -echo

Why it works: The `-echo` option tells the terminal not to display the characters you type locally. This is particularly useful when you need to type sensitive information that might be echoed by a remote application, or when troubleshooting communication issues.

Pro-Tip: To re-enable echoing, simply run stty echo.

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 6/18/2026