Skip to main content
ubuntuask.com

Back to all posts

How to Read A CSV File In Linux?

Published on
4 min read
How to Read A CSV File In Linux? image

Best CSV File Readers for Linux to Buy in January 2026

1 External DVD Drive USB 3.0 Type-C Portable CD DVD Player for Laptop +/-RW Disk Drive CD ROM Burner Writer CD/DVD Burner Reader Compatible with Desktop Windows Linux OS Apple MacBook

External DVD Drive USB 3.0 Type-C Portable CD DVD Player for Laptop +/-RW Disk Drive CD ROM Burner Writer CD/DVD Burner Reader Compatible with Desktop Windows Linux OS Apple MacBook

  • VERSATILE FUNCTIONALITY: BURN, PLAY, AND RIP CDS/DVDS EFFORTLESSLY.

  • UNIVERSAL COMPATIBILITY: WORKS WITH ALL MAJOR OS AND LAPTOP MODELS.

  • HIGH-SPEED TRANSFER: ENJOY FAST DATA TRANSFER WITH USB 3.0 SUPPORT.

BUY & SAVE
$16.99 $21.99
Save 23%
External DVD Drive USB 3.0 Type-C Portable CD DVD Player for Laptop +/-RW Disk Drive CD ROM Burner Writer CD/DVD Burner Reader Compatible with Desktop Windows Linux OS Apple MacBook
2 MobiOffice Lifetime 4-in-1 Productivity Suite for Windows | Lifetime License | Includes Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Email + Free PDF Reader

MobiOffice Lifetime 4-in-1 Productivity Suite for Windows | Lifetime License | Includes Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Email + Free PDF Reader

  • ALL-IN-ONE SUITE: WORD, SPREADSHEETS, PRESENTATIONS, & PDF TOOLS INCLUDED.
  • LIFETIME LICENSE: ONE-TIME PAYMENT FOR PERMANENT ACCESS-NO SUBSCRIPTIONS!
  • FULL COMPATIBILITY: EDIT AND SAVE IN ALL POPULAR FILE FORMATS EFFORTLESSLY.
BUY & SAVE
$99.99
MobiOffice Lifetime 4-in-1 Productivity Suite for Windows | Lifetime License | Includes Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Email + Free PDF Reader
3 XTOOL D7 Bidirectional OBD2 Scanner: 2026 Scan Tool with 64GB Latest Ver., 36+ Resets, Full System Car Scanner Diagnostic Tool, Injector Test, Throttle Reset, Crank Sensor Relearn, FCA, CANFD & DoIP

XTOOL D7 Bidirectional OBD2 Scanner: 2026 Scan Tool with 64GB Latest Ver., 36+ Resets, Full System Car Scanner Diagnostic Tool, Injector Test, Throttle Reset, Crank Sensor Relearn, FCA, CANFD & DoIP

  • 64GB STORAGE & BIDIRECTIONAL CONTROL FOR ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS.
  • SAVE $500+/YEAR WITH PRO-LEVEL FEATURES AT AN UNBEATABLE PRICE.
  • 3 YEARS OF FREE UPDATES ENSURE LONG-TERM VALUE AND COMPATIBILITY.
BUY & SAVE
$419.00
XTOOL D7 Bidirectional OBD2 Scanner: 2026 Scan Tool with 64GB Latest Ver., 36+ Resets, Full System Car Scanner Diagnostic Tool, Injector Test, Throttle Reset, Crank Sensor Relearn, FCA, CANFD & DoIP
4 cardPresso ID Card Software XS Edition

cardPresso ID Card Software XS Edition

  • STREAMLINE DATA ACCESS WITH QR CODE INTEGRATION FOR INSTANT SCANS.
  • EFFORTLESSLY CONNECT TO MS-EXCEL, .CSV, AND .TXT DATABASES.
  • BOOST EFFICIENCY WITH ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITIES IN XS STEP-UP MODEL.
BUY & SAVE
$136.74
cardPresso ID Card Software XS Edition
5 Office 9⁠ Create documents, spreadsheets and presentations with great ease–and excellent compatibility!

Office 9⁠ Create documents, spreadsheets and presentations with great ease–and excellent compatibility!

  • EXCEPTIONAL COMPATIBILITY WITH MS OFFICE FOR SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS.
  • SINGLE LICENSE SUPPORTS UP TO 5 PCS FOR FAMILY CONVENIENCE.
  • FLEXIBLE USER INTERFACE CATERS TO CLASSIC OR MODERN PREFERENCES.
BUY & SAVE
$29.99
Office 9⁠ Create documents, spreadsheets and presentations with great ease–and excellent compatibility!
6 Plustek PS186 Desktop Document Scanner, with 50-Pages Auto Document Feeder (ADF). for Windows 7/8 / 10/11 (Intel/AMD only)

Plustek PS186 Desktop Document Scanner, with 50-Pages Auto Document Feeder (ADF). for Windows 7/8 / 10/11 (Intel/AMD only)

  • QUICK SCAN SETUP: 255 CUSTOMIZABLE SETTINGS WITH ONE-TOUCH SCANNING.
  • SMART DOCUMENT CONVERSION: EASILY CREATE SEARCHABLE, EDITABLE PDFS.
  • EFFORTLESS FILE MANAGEMENT: AUTOMATIC CATEGORIZATION WITH BARCODE SUPPORT.
BUY & SAVE
$199.00
Plustek PS186 Desktop Document Scanner, with 50-Pages Auto Document Feeder (ADF). for Windows 7/8 / 10/11 (Intel/AMD only)
7 IDVisor Smart Plus ID Scanner - Drivers License and Passport Age Verification & Customer Management - Extra Large 5" LCD Screen, Charger Cradle, Hand Strap & More

IDVisor Smart Plus ID Scanner - Drivers License and Passport Age Verification & Customer Management - Extra Large 5" LCD Screen, Charger Cradle, Hand Strap & More

  • FAST SCANNING: SCAN IDS IN JUST 1 SECOND-BOOST CUSTOMER FLOW!

  • LIFETIME SUPPORT: ENJOY FREE SOFTWARE UPDATES & US-BASED ASSISTANCE.

  • CUSTOMIZABLE CRM: TRACK AND MANAGE VIPS, UNDERAGE, AND OCCUPANCY EASILY.

BUY & SAVE
$1,140.00
IDVisor Smart Plus ID Scanner - Drivers License and Passport Age Verification & Customer Management - Extra Large 5" LCD Screen, Charger Cradle, Hand Strap & More
8 VDIAGTOOL Bidirectional Scan Tool VD70 Lite, OBD2 Scanner Diagnostic Tool with 31+ Resets, 2026 Scanner for Car, Full System Scan, CAN FD & DoIP, Free Update

VDIAGTOOL Bidirectional Scan Tool VD70 Lite, OBD2 Scanner Diagnostic Tool with 31+ Resets, 2026 Scanner for Car, Full System Scan, CAN FD & DoIP, Free Update

  • AFFORDABLE PRO DIAGNOSTICS: 31+ RESETS & 4000+ TESTS UNDER $300!
  • FULL BI-DIRECTIONAL CONTROL: COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH ALL CAR SYSTEMS!
  • LONG-TERM FREE UPDATES + 2-YEAR WARRANTY: INVEST IN LASTING VALUE!
BUY & SAVE
$399.00
VDIAGTOOL Bidirectional Scan Tool VD70 Lite, OBD2 Scanner Diagnostic Tool with 31+ Resets, 2026 Scanner for Car, Full System Scan, CAN FD & DoIP, Free Update
+
ONE MORE?

To read a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file in Linux, you can use various command-line tools such as awk, sed, or the csvkit library. Here is how you can do it:

  1. Using awk: Awk is a versatile tool for text processing and can be used to read CSV files. The following command demonstrates how to read a CSV file using awk: awk -F',' '{print $1, $2, $3}' filename.csv This command sets the field separator as a comma (-F','), and then prints the desired columns ($1, $2, $3) from the CSV file.
  2. Using sed: Sed is another command-line utility that can perform text manipulation. To read a CSV file using sed, you can use the following command: sed 's/,/ /g' filename.csv This command replaces commas (,) with spaces ( ) in the CSV file, allowing you to view the content in a formatted manner.
  3. Using csvkit: Csvkit is a powerful library specifically designed for working with CSV files on the command line. To read a CSV file using csvkit, you need to install it first by running the following command: pip install csvkit Once installed, you can use the csvkit command-line tools to read a CSV file. For example: csvlook filename.csv This command formats the contents of the CSV file in a tabular form for easy readability.

These methods allow you to read the content of a CSV file in Linux using the command line. Choose the method that best suits your needs based on the type of processing you want to perform on the data.

What command can be used to validate the format of a CSV file in Linux?

One command that can be used to validate the format of a CSV file in Linux is "csvlint". It is a command-line tool designed specifically for validating CSV files.

How to search for a specific value in a CSV file using grep in Linux?

To search for a specific value in a CSV file using grep in Linux, you can use the following command:

grep "value" filename.csv

Replace "value" with the specific value you want to search for, and "filename.csv" with the actual name of the CSV file you want to search in.

For example, if you want to search for the value "example" in a file called "data.csv", the command would be:

grep "example" data.csv

This command will print all the lines in the CSV file that contain the specified value.

How to calculate the sum or average of values in a specific column of a CSV file in Linux?

To calculate the sum or average of values in a specific column of a CSV file in Linux, you can use various command-line tools such as awk, sed, and bc. Here are two approaches:

Approach 1: Using awk and bc:

  1. Run the following command, replacing column_number with the number of the desired column (starting from 1) and file.csv with the name of your CSV file:

awk -F',' '{ sum += $column_number; count++ } END { print "Sum:", sum; print "Average:", sum / count }' file.csv | bc -l

This command sets the field separator to , (adjust the value for -F if your CSV uses a different separator) and then calculates the sum by accumulating the values in the specified column ($column_number). It also maintains a count of the number of values encountered. After processing the file, it prints the sum and average, which are then piped to bc for floating-point division.

Approach 2: Using awk alone for simple sum and average:

  1. If you only need a basic sum or average without decimal places, you can use the following awk command:

awk -F',' '{ sum += $column_number } END { print "Sum:", sum; print "Average:", sum / NR }' file.csv

This command works similarly to the previous one, but it uses NR (total number of input records) for average calculation, which might truncate the result to an integer if the CSV file contains whole numbers only.

Note: Make sure to replace column_number with the actual column number you want to calculate the sum or average for.

The recommended encoding for CSV files in Linux is UTF-8. UTF-8 is a widely supported character encoding that can represent any character from the Unicode standard, making it suitable for handling international data. It is also the default encoding for most Linux systems.