In this course, you have learned about some common file commands in Linux. You are most likely to be dealing a lot with files and it is important that you are familiar with as many file commands.

Steps
File Commands in Linux
cat (Concatenate a file)
cat
stands for Concatenate.
It is the command that is used to concatenate (read and adds) and print the contents of a file.
The cat utility reads files sequentially, writing them to the standard output (terminal).
You can also use the cat
command to create a file.
To create a file, follow the steps as listed below.
We are going to create a file called edu_quote.txt
- Type
cat > edu_quote.txt
and press Enter. - Now type
Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. - Mark Twain
- Press
Ctrl + Z
if you are using a Windows machine orCmd + Z
if you are using a Mac machine
What this cat > edu_quote.txt
command does is, it reads (or concatenates) the contents (in this case the quote that you typed in) and writes (>) it into a file called edu_quote.txt
To read the contents of a file and print it to the terminal, you can use the cat
command.
Now type cat edu_quotes.txt
(this time without the >
sign between the word cat and edu_quotes.txt)
You should see the quote that you typed in displayed on the screen.
Note: The cat
command is used extensively in reading and managing files in Linux.