Google Colab Cheat Sheet
A quick reference for running Python notebooks in Google Colab, covering GPU/TPU setup, mounting Drive, installing packages, and useful keyboard shortcuts.
1 PageBeginnerMar 20, 2026
GPU/TPU Setup
Enable and verify hardware acceleration.
python
# Check GPU availabilityimport torchprint(torch.cuda.is_available())!nvidia-smi# Runtime > Change runtime type > GPU/TPU (UI action)
Mounting Google Drive
Access files stored in your Drive from a notebook.
python
from google.colab import drivedrive.mount('/content/drive')# Access files directly from your Driveimport pandas as pddf = pd.read_csv('/content/drive/MyDrive/data.csv')
Installing Packages
Add libraries not preinstalled in the Colab runtime.
bash
!pip install -q transformers # Install a package quietly!apt-get install -y graphviz # Install a system package%pip install pandas==2.2.0 # Magic pip: installs into the active kernel
Magic Commands & Shortcuts
Notebook productivity commands and keybindings.
- %%time- Measures and prints the execution time of a cell
- %%writefile file.py- Writes the cell's contents to a file instead of executing it
- %matplotlib inline- Renders matplotlib plots directly below the cell
- Ctrl+M B / Ctrl+M A- Insert a new cell below / above the current one
- Shift+Enter- Runs the current cell and moves focus to the next
- Ctrl+M D D- Deletes the currently selected cell
Pro Tip
Colab disconnects idle runtimes after roughly 90 minutes and enforces a hard 12-hour session limit even if active — periodically checkpoint models and outputs to Google Drive so long training runs survive a disconnect.
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