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Keyboard Shortcuts and Navigation Guide

Complete keyboard shortcut reference and navigation guide for Substation. Master keyboard-driven navigation - your mouse is for the weak.

Quick Reference Card

Print this and tape it to your monitor (we won't judge).

Key View When You'll Need It
d Dashboard First thing, every time. Start here.
s Servers "Why is prod down?"
g Server Groups Advanced anti-affinity wizardry
n Networks "Can you see me now?"
e Security Groups Firewall archaeology and port spelunking
v Volumes "Where did my data go?" (Cinder storage)
i Images Finding that one CentOS 7 image from 2019
f Flavors Size matters. Choose wisely.
t Topology Pretty network diagrams for presentations
h Health Dashboard "Is it us or them?" (usually them)
u Subnets CIDR math at 3 AM. Fun times.
p Ports MAC address detective work
r Routers Routing table archaeology
l Floating IPs The IPs that mysteriously float away
b Barbican (Secrets) Where secrets hide
o Octavia (Load Balancers) Distributing the pain
j Swift (Object Storage) Blob storage chaos
k Key Pairs SSH key management
q Configuration Profiles Switch clouds/projects
z Advanced Search Cross-service grep for your cloud

Global Actions

Key Action Notes
? Show Help Context-aware - changes based on current view
@ About Version info, credits
c Cache Purge The panic button. Clears ALL caches. Use sparingly.
r Refresh Refresh current view
a Auto-refresh Toggle Cycle between 5s, 10s, 30s, 60s, off
/ Search/Filter Instant local filtering, no API calls
Ctrl-X Multi-Select Mode Toggle multi-select mode for bulk operations
Esc Back/Cancel Works everywhere, exits everything
q Quit From main view only

List Navigation

Key Action Vim Users Note
↑ or k Move up Vim muscle memory works
↓ or j Move down Vim muscle memory works
Page Up Scroll up one page -
Page Down Scroll down one page -
Home or g Jump to top Vim-style
End or G Jump to bottom Vim-style
Space View details (or toggle selection in multi-select) Deep dive into a resource
Enter View details Same as Space, because options

Multi-Select Mode

Key Action Notes
Ctrl-X Toggle multi-select mode Enter/exit multi-select mode
Space Toggle item selection Select/deselect items (in multi-select mode)
Del Bulk delete Delete all selected items (confirmation required)
Esc Exit multi-select Cancel and clear selections

Multi-Select Workflow:

  1. Press Ctrl-X to enter multi-select mode
  2. Use arrow keys to navigate, Space to select/deselect items
  3. Status icons change to [ ] (unselected) or [X] (selected)
  4. Press Del to bulk delete selected items
  5. Press Ctrl-X or Esc to exit multi-select mode

Supported Views: - Servers, Volumes, Networks, Subnets, Routers, Ports - Floating IPs, Security Groups, Server Groups, Key Pairs, Images

Resource Actions

Key Action Context
C Create All resource lists
Del or D Delete All resources (confirmation required)

Context-Specific Shortcuts

Server View (s)

Key Action Notes
C Create server Full server creation form
Del Delete server Confirmation required (or bulk delete in multi-select)
S Start server Power on
T Stop server Graceful shutdown
R Restart server Reboot (soft by default)
L View console logs Last 100 lines
P Create snapshot Create image from server
Z Resize server Change flavor
Ctrl-X Multi-select mode Bulk operations on multiple servers

Server Groups View (g)

Key Action Notes
C Create server group Anti-affinity/affinity policies
Del Delete server group Must be empty first
Space View group members See which servers are in group

Networks View (n)

Key Action Notes
C Create network Name, MTU, port security
Del Delete network Must delete subnets first
A Manage network interfaces Attach/detach from servers

Security Groups View (e)

Key Action Notes
C Create security group Name and description
Del Delete security group Can't delete 'default'
A Attach to servers Apply to server instances
M Manage rules Add/remove firewall rules

Volumes View (v)

Key Action Notes
C Create volume Size, type, bootable option
Del Delete volume Must be detached first (or bulk delete in multi-select)
A Attach to server Select server and device
X Detach from server Unmount first!
P Create snapshot Volume backup
M Manage snapshots View/restore snapshots
E Extend volume size Can't shrink, only grow
Ctrl-X Multi-select mode Bulk operations on multiple volumes

Images View (i)

Key Action Notes
C Create/Upload image Upload custom images
Del Delete image Admin only for public images
Space View image details Size, format, properties

Flavors View (f)

Key Action Notes
C Create flavor Admin only
Del Delete flavor Admin only
Space View flavor specs CPU, RAM, disk details

Subnets View (u)

Key Action Notes
C Create subnet CIDR, allocation pools, DNS
Del Delete subnet Must be unused first
A Attach to router Enable external routing

Ports View (p)

Key Action Notes
C Create port Manual port creation
Del Delete port Detach from server first
Space View port details MAC, IPs, security groups

Routers View (r)

Key Action Notes
C Create router Name and admin state
Del Delete router Remove interfaces first
G Set gateway Connect to external network
I Manage interfaces Add/remove subnet connections

Floating IPs View (l)

Key Action Notes
C Allocate floating IP From external pool
Del Release floating IP Returns to pool
A Associate to server Attach to instance
D Disassociate Detach from instance

Barbican View (b)

Key Action Notes
C Create secret Store sensitive data
Del Delete secret Permanent deletion
Space View secret metadata Metadata only, not payload

Octavia View (o)

Key Action Notes
C Create load balancer VIP, provider, flavor
Del Delete load balancer Removes all listeners/pools
L Manage listeners Add/remove listeners
P Manage pools Backend server pools
M Manage members Pool members

Swift View (j)

Key Action Notes
C Create container Object storage container
Del Delete container/object Must be empty for containers
U Upload object File upload to container
D Download object Save object to disk

Topology View (t)

Key Action Notes
Tab Cycle display modes Different visualization styles
W Export topology Save diagram data
↑/↓/←/→ Navigate diagram Move around visualization

Health Dashboard (h)

Key Action Notes
↑/↓ Navigate metrics Scroll through metrics
Space View metric details Detailed metric breakdown
r Refresh metrics Update real-time data

Advanced Search (z)

Key Action Notes
Type query Search across services Searches all OpenStack services
Enter Execute search Start cross-service search
↑/↓ Navigate results Browse search results
Space View result details Inspect found resource
Esc Close search Return to previous view

Form Navigation

Form Field Navigation

Key Action Notes
Tab Next field Move to next form field
Shift+Tab Previous field Move to previous field
↑/↓ Move between fields Alternative navigation
Space Activate field Toggle/selector activation
Enter Enter edit mode For text fields
Esc Exit edit mode Cancel form or exit field

Text Field Editing

Key Action Notes
←/→ Move cursor Character-by-character
Home Start of line Jump to beginning
End End of line Jump to end
Backspace Delete before cursor Standard deletion
Delete Delete at cursor Forward delete
Ctrl+U Clear line Erase entire line
Esc Exit edit mode Save and exit

Selector Fields

Key Action Notes
↑/↓ Navigate items Browse available items
Page Up/Down Scroll page Fast scrolling
Space Select/Deselect Toggle selection
Enter Confirm selection Accept and close
/ Search items Filter selector items
Esc Cancel selection Close without selecting

Efficient View Switching

  1. Master navigation keys - d s n v etc. for instant view switching
  2. Use search frequently - / to quickly find resources
  3. Learn context actions - Actions change per view
  4. Detail views - Space for quick resource inspection

Common Navigation Flows

Server Management:

d (dashboard) → s (servers) → ↑/↓ (select) → Space (details) → Esc (back)

Network Troubleshooting:

d (dashboard) → n (networks) → / (search) → type query → Space (details)

Resource Creation:

s (servers) → C (create) → Tab (navigate form) → Enter (submit)

Quick Resource Inspection:

Any list view → ↑/↓ (select) → Space (details) → Esc (return) → Repeat

Vim-Style Navigation

For vim users (muscle memory is real):

Vim Key Standard Key Action
j ↓ Move down
k ↑ Move up
g Home Jump to top
G End Jump to bottom
Esc Esc Exit/Cancel (works everywhere)
:q q Quit (from main view)

Note: :q doesn't work, but q does. We're not that vim-like.

Hidden Gems and Pro Tips

Context-Aware Help (?)

Press ? at any time:

  • Help changes based on current view
  • Shows available actions for current context
  • Lists relevant keyboard shortcuts
  • Explains what you're looking at

Cache Management (c)

Press c anywhere to purge ALL caches:

  • Clears L1, L2, and L3 caches
  • Next operations slower while cache rebuilds
  • Use when data looks stale or wrong

When to purge cache:

  • OpenStack cluster just had a bad day (again)
  • Data looks stale and wrong
  • Just launched 50 servers and they're not showing up
  • Debugging and need truth, not cached lies

Quick Filter (/)

Press / in any list:

  • Instant local filtering (no API calls)
  • Results update as you type
  • Works on visible fields only
  • Clear query or press Esc to reset

Local vs. Advanced Search:

  • Local (/): Fast, searches current view only, instant results
  • Advanced (z): Comprehensive, searches all services, < 500ms typical
  • Double-tap navigation keys to refresh that view
  • Press Esc repeatedly to bubble up to dashboard
  • Press ? when lost for context-aware help
  • Press c sparingly - only when data is truly stale

Search Behavior

  • Searches visible items only
  • Instant filtering (no network calls)
  • Case-insensitive by default
  • Regex not supported
  • Results update as you type

Use when: You know the resource is in the current view and you want instant results.

Advanced Search (z)

  • Searches all OpenStack services in parallel
  • Cross-service queries (Nova, Neutron, Cinder, Glance, Keystone, Swift)
  • 5-second timeout per service
  • Shows partial results if service times out
  • Results organized by service priority

Use when: You don't know which service has the resource or need comprehensive search.

Auto-Refresh Configuration

Press a to toggle auto-refresh intervals:

  • 5 seconds - Real-time monitoring (resource intensive)
  • 10 seconds - Active monitoring (balanced)
  • 30 seconds - Passive monitoring (light)
  • 60 seconds - Background monitoring (very light)
  • Off - Manual refresh only (press r when needed)

Recommendation: Use 10-30 seconds for most workflows. Use 5 seconds only when actively monitoring a deployment.

Accessibility Features

Keyboard-Only Operation

Every operation can be performed without a mouse:

  • Navigation: Arrow keys, Tab, Shift-Tab
  • Selection: Space, Enter
  • Actions: Single-key shortcuts
  • Forms: Tab navigation, Enter to edit
  • Help: ? key always available

Screen Reader Support

  • Structured navigation
  • Clear focus indicators
  • Descriptive action labels
  • Status announcements

Visual Indicators

  • Selected items: Highlighted
  • Active fields: Clearly marked
  • Status colors:
  • Green = Good/Active
  • Red = Error/Failed
  • Yellow = Warning/Building
  • Progress indicators: For long operations

Troubleshooting Navigation

"My keyboard shortcuts don't work!"

Check:

  1. Are you in a text field? (Press Esc to exit)
  2. Is a modal/form open? (Press Esc to close)
  3. Terminal settings correct? (Check terminal emulator)

"Search returns nothing!"

Local search (/):

  • Are you searching the right view?
  • Try broader search terms
  • Case-insensitive matching

Advanced search (z):

  • Services might be slow (partial results shown)
  • 5-second timeout per service
  • Check OpenStack service health

"View won't refresh!"

Solutions:

  • Press r to manually refresh
  • Press c to purge cache (if data is stale)
  • Check auto-refresh setting (press a)

Cheat Sheet

Most Used Shortcuts

Navigation:  d s n v i          (Dashboard, Servers, Networks, Volumes, Images)
Actions:     C Del Space ? q    (Create, Delete, Details, Help, Quit)
Search:      / z                (Local, Advanced)
Refresh:     r c                (Refresh, Cache purge)
Movement:    ↑↓ j k Page-Up/Dn  (List navigation)
Bulk Ops:    Ctrl-X Space Del   (Multi-select, Select, Bulk delete)

Emergency Shortcuts

c       - Cache purge (when data is stale)
Esc     - Get me out of here
q       - Quit (from main view)
?       - Help! (context-aware)

Pro Tips

  1. Double-tap navigation keys to refresh that view
  2. Press Esc repeatedly to bubble up to dashboard
  3. Press ? when lost for context-aware help
  4. Press c sparingly - only when data is truly stale
  5. Use / first before z - local search is instant
  6. Learn view keys - Faster than any mouse
  7. Use Space liberally - Quick detail inspection
  8. Vim keys work - j/k for navigation, g/G for jumps

Remember: You don't need to memorize everything. Press ? at any time for context-aware help. The more you use Substation, the more shortcuts will become muscle memory.

Keyboard warriors don't use mice. The terminal is your canvas. The keyboard is your brush.