Linux Command Line
The “cat” command is a powerful tool in the Linux command line that allows users to view and manipulate the contents of text files. This command can be used in a variety of ways, from simply displaying the contents of a file to concatenating multiple files together.
One of the most basic uses of the “cat” command is to display the contents of a text file. To do this, simply type “cat” followed by the name of the file you wish to view, and press enter. For example, if you want to view the contents of a file called “example.txt”, you would type “cat example.txt” and press enter. This will display the contents of the file in the terminal window.
Another useful feature of the “cat” command is its ability to concatenate (or join) multiple files together. This can be done by typing “cat” followed by the names of the files you wish to join, separated by spaces. For example, if you want to join the contents of “file1.txt” and “file2.txt” together, you would type “cat file1.txt file2.txt” and press enter. This will display the contents of both files in the terminal window, one after the other.
The “cat” command can also be used to create new files and add content to existing files. This can be done by redirecting the output of the “cat” command to a new file. For example, to create a new file called “newfile.txt” and add the contents of “file1.txt” to it, you would type “cat file1.txt > newfile.txt”.
The “cat” command can also be used to append content to an existing file. For example, to append the contents of “file2.txt” to “newfile.txt”, you would type “cat file2.txt >> newfile.txt”
One more example, if you want to see line numbers while viewing a file, you can use the option -n with the cat command. For example, to view the contents of “example.txt” with line numbers, you would type “cat -n example.txt” and press enter.
In summary, the “cat” command is a versatile tool that can be used for a variety of tasks related to viewing and manipulating text files in Linux. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, mastering the “cat” command is an essential step in becoming proficient in the Linux command line.
See our list of 75 Linux commands you should know about.
