Repeat previous command

Keyboard commands
~	!		@		#		$		%		^		&		*	(	)	_	=	+
	Q		W		E		R		T		Y		U	I		O	P	{	}	|
	q		w		e		r		t		y		u	i		o	p	[	]	\
		A		S		D		F		G		H		J		K	L	:	"
		a		s		d		f		g		h		j		k	l	;	'
			Z		X		C		V		B		N	M		<	>	?
			z		x		c		v		b		n	m		,	.	/
	q		w		e		r		t				u	i		o	p	Alt
		a		s		d		f						j			l	Alt
							c		v				n	m			?	Alt
		A			C		R		T				O					Alt
a		c			d		o		p		r		t			[		Ctrl

For repeating a command multiple times, see numeric prefix.

Press ctrl + a to repeat previous command.

Common uses

• Wands can be quickly wrested by zapping them once and then holding down ctrl + a until something interesting happens. (As always when holding down keys in NetHack, this should be done only in a safe location.)
• Repeatedly #untrapping a box to make sure it is safe to open becomes much less annoying with this command: you can do the #untrap > sequence once, then just press ctrl + a, y repeatedly.
• When #dipping potions into a fountain or pool to blank them, it is usually necessary to dip them twice. ctrl + a, y can be used to dip them the second time.
• Ranged weapons can be fired in the same direction for several turns in a row with the repeat command; this saves one to two keystrokes.

Limitations

The repeat command interacts rather strangely with spellcasting: pressing ctrl + a after casting a directional spell will bring up the casting menu to select a spell again (as if you just pressed Z), but when you select a spell, it will be cast in the same direction as your previous cast.

If you try to repeat an E - command, nothing will happen the first time you press ctrl + a, and the second time you press it you will be told, "You don't have that object." This is probably a bug.

The repeat command is only available if NetHack was compiled with the REDO compile-time option (but this should be the case on nearly all installations).