ubuntu command: fc

Question

Needing to compare two text files, I naturally thought to use fc and then I discovered that on ubuntu it is diff that would be the command. man fc indicates that the manual has no fc.

Strangely when I use 'fc' I end up in a GNU nano window and the text in the nano editor is "man fc" which is a recently issued command. Why is this happening?

Answer 1

Because in the Ubuntu manpages it says:

fc - process the command history list

The fc utility shall list, or shall edit and re-execute, commands previously entered to an interactive sh.

So that would explain why it shows you man fc, because you entered it before trying fc only.

Basically the command allows you to re-edit previously issued commands. For editing it uses your default editor, which apparently is set to nano.