How to Count the Number Of Lines In A File In Linux?

8 minutes read

To count the number of lines in a file in Linux, you can use various methods or command-line tools. Here are a few commonly used methods:

  1. Using the wc command: The wc (word count) command in Linux can be used to count lines in a file. By providing the "-l" option, you can instruct wc to show only the line count. Open a terminal and use the following command: wc -l filename Replace "filename" with the actual name of the file you want to count the lines for.
  2. Using the grep command: The grep command searches for patterns in files and can also be used to count lines. By using the "-c" option, you can make grep count the number of matching lines in the file and display the count. The pattern used here is a regular expression that matches any character. grep -c '^' filename Again, replace "filename" with the name of the file you want to count lines for.
  3. Using the awk command: The awk command is a versatile utility commonly used for data extraction and manipulation. By using awk, you can print the number of lines in a file. Open a terminal and execute the following command: awk 'END {print NR}' filename Here, "NR" represents the total number of records, which is equal to the number of lines in this case. Replace "filename" with the desired file.


These are just a few methods to count the number of lines in a file in Linux. There may be other commands or custom scripts that you can use as well, depending on your requirements.

Best Linux Books of 2024

1
Efficient Linux at the Command Line: Boost Your Command-Line Skills

Rating is 5 out of 5

Efficient Linux at the Command Line: Boost Your Command-Line Skills

2
CompTIA Linux+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Second Edition (Exam XK0-005)

Rating is 4.9 out of 5

CompTIA Linux+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Second Edition (Exam XK0-005)

3
Practical Linux Forensics: A Guide for Digital Investigators

Rating is 4.8 out of 5

Practical Linux Forensics: A Guide for Digital Investigators

4
Linux Bible

Rating is 4.7 out of 5

Linux Bible

5
Linux Basics for Hackers: Getting Started with Networking, Scripting, and Security in Kali

Rating is 4.6 out of 5

Linux Basics for Hackers: Getting Started with Networking, Scripting, and Security in Kali

6
The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction

Rating is 4.5 out of 5

The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction

7
How Linux Works, 3rd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know

Rating is 4.4 out of 5

How Linux Works, 3rd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know


How can I find the total lines in a file using Linux?

You can use the wc command with the option -l to count the total number of lines in a file. Here's the command:

1
wc -l file.txt


Replace file.txt with the actual name of the file you want to count the lines in. This command will display the total number of lines in the file as the output.


How to count the number of lines in a file in Linux?

To count the number of lines in a file in Linux, you can use the "wc" command with the "-l" option. Here's the command format:

1
wc -l filename


Replace "filename" with the name of the file you want to count the lines for. For example, if you want to count the lines in a file called "example.txt", the command would be:

1
wc -l example.txt


This will display the total number of lines in the file.


What command should I use to count lines in a file on a Linux terminal?

You can use the "wc" command with the "-l" option to count the number of lines in a file on a Linux terminal. The command syntax is as follows:

1
wc -l filename


For example, to count the lines in a file called "example.txt", you would run the following command:

1
wc -l example.txt



What is the command to count lines in a file excluding comments in Linux?

To count lines in a file while excluding comments in Linux, you can use the following command:

1
grep -v '^#' <filename> | wc -l


Here's what each part of the command does:

  • grep -v '^#': This command uses grep to match all lines that do not begin with the # character (comments). The -v option inverts the match, so it includes only the lines that do not match the pattern.
  • : Replace with the name of the file you want to count lines in.
  • wc -l: This command counts the number of lines. The -l option specifies that we want to count lines.


Running this command will give you the desired output, which is the total number of lines in the file excluding comments.


How to count lines in a file and append the count to the file itself in Linux?

To count the lines in a file and append the count to the file itself in Linux, you can use the following command:

1
echo "$(wc -l < file.txt) lines" >> file.txt


Here's the breakdown of the command:

  • wc -l < file.txt: This command counts the number of lines in the file file.txt.
  • echo "$(wc -l < file.txt) lines": This echoes the count along with the word "lines".
  • >> file.txt: This appends the echoed count to the end of the file file.txt.


What is the best tool to count the lines in a file in Linux?

One of the best tools to count the lines in a file in Linux is the wc command. It can count lines, words, and characters in a file.


To count lines in a file using wc, execute the following command:

1
wc -l filename


Replace "filename" with the actual name of the file you want to count the lines for. The output will display the number of lines in that file.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Whatsapp Pocket

Related Posts:

To skip the first N lines of a file in Linux, you can use the tail command along with the -n option. Here is how you can do it:Open the terminal.Navigate to the directory where the file is located using the cd command.Execute the following command to skip the ...
To view the first N lines of a file in Linux, you can use the head command. Here&#39;s how you can achieve this:Open the terminal.Use the following syntax to view the first N lines of a file: head -n N filename Replace N with the number of lines you want to vi...
To read the last N lines of a file in Linux, you can use various commands and techniques. Here is how you can do it:Using tail command: The tail command allows you to display the last N lines of a file. Open the terminal and type the following command, replaci...
To read a file in the Linux terminal, you can use various commands depending on the type of file and your requirement. Here are some commonly used commands:cat: The &#39;cat&#39; command is used to display the entire contents of a file directly on the terminal...
To read a file in reverse order in Linux, you can use the combination of some Linux commands. Here&#39;s one possible approach:Firstly, you can use the tac command, which is the reverse version of cat. It reads lines from a file and prints them in reverse orde...
To check if a file is a text file in Linux, you can use the file command along with additional options. Here are the steps:Open the terminal on your Linux system. Use the following command syntax: file [OPTIONS] filename Replace [OPTIONS] with any additional o...