Skip to main content
ubuntuask.com

Back to all posts

How to Read A File In Linux Terminal?

Published on
5 min read
How to Read A File In Linux Terminal? image

Best Terminal Reading Tools to Buy in December 2025

1 Mind Reader File Storage Drawers, Desk Organizer, Multi-Purpose, Crafts, Office, Metal Mesh, 11"L x 14"W x 11"H, Black, 5 Drawer

Mind Reader File Storage Drawers, Desk Organizer, Multi-Purpose, Crafts, Office, Metal Mesh, 11"L x 14"W x 11"H, Black, 5 Drawer

  • SLEEK DESIGN COMPLEMENTS ANY DECOR, ENHANCING YOUR WORKSPACE STYLE.
  • VERSATILE USE FOR ORGANIZING PAPERS OR TOOLS IN ANY ROOM.
  • DURABLE STEEL CONSTRUCTION ENSURES LONG-LASTING AND EASY CLEANING.
BUY & SAVE
$74.99
Mind Reader File Storage Drawers, Desk Organizer, Multi-Purpose, Crafts, Office, Metal Mesh, 11"L x 14"W x 11"H, Black, 5 Drawer
2 Mind Reader Hanging File Folder Organizer, Desktop Organizer, Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 13" L x 9.75" W x 10.25" H, Silver

Mind Reader Hanging File Folder Organizer, Desktop Organizer, Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 13" L x 9.75" W x 10.25" H, Silver

  • SLEEK METAL MESH DESIGN ENHANCES ANY DECOR WHILE ORGANIZING FILES.
  • TOOL-FREE ASSEMBLY LETS YOU SET UP IN MINUTES FOR QUICK USE.
  • DURABLE AND EASY TO CLEAN FOR LONG-LASTING, HASSLE-FREE ORGANIZATION.
BUY & SAVE
$14.30 $19.99
Save 28%
Mind Reader Hanging File Folder Organizer, Desktop Organizer, Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 13" L x 9.75" W x 10.25" H, Silver
3 Mind Reader Slide-On Under Desk File Organizer, No Tools Required, Hanging Storage for Laptops, Folders, and Notebooks, Metal, Black

Mind Reader Slide-On Under Desk File Organizer, No Tools Required, Hanging Storage for Laptops, Folders, and Notebooks, Metal, Black

  • EASY SLIDE-ON DESIGN FOR INSTANT UNDER-DESK STORAGE CONVENIENCE.

  • ADJUSTABLE FIT ACCOMMODATES DESKTOPS UP TO 1.75 THICK SECURELY.

  • DURABLE STEEL BUILD SUPPORTS 22 LBS FOR EVERYDAY RELIABILITY.

BUY & SAVE
$37.60 $39.59
Save 5%
Mind Reader Slide-On Under Desk File Organizer, No Tools Required, Hanging Storage for Laptops, Folders, and Notebooks, Metal, Black
4 Mind Reader Hanging File Folder Organizer, Desktop Organizer, Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 13" L x 9.75" W x 10.25" H, Black

Mind Reader Hanging File Folder Organizer, Desktop Organizer, Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 13" L x 9.75" W x 10.25" H, Black

  • SLEEK METAL MESH DESIGN: MODERN LOOK THAT FITS ANY DECOR STYLE.

  • EFFORTLESS ASSEMBLY: TOOL-FREE SETUP IN MINUTES FOR INSTANT USE.

  • DURABLE & EASY MAINTENANCE: STRONG, CLEANABLE MATERIAL FOR LONGEVITY.

BUY & SAVE
$18.69 $19.99
Save 7%
Mind Reader Hanging File Folder Organizer, Desktop Organizer, Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 13" L x 9.75" W x 10.25" H, Black
5 Mind Reader Slide-On Under Desk File Organizer, No Tools Required, Hanging Storage for Laptops, Folders, and Notebooks, Metal, Black

Mind Reader Slide-On Under Desk File Organizer, No Tools Required, Hanging Storage for Laptops, Folders, and Notebooks, Metal, Black

  • INSTANT UNDER-DESK STORAGE FOR A CLUTTER-FREE WORKSPACE!

  • ADJUSTABLE FIT FOR STABILITY ON DESKTOPS UP TO 1.75 INCHES THICK.

  • DURABLE STEEL DESIGN HOLDS UP TO 22 LBS FOR EVERYDAY USE!

BUY & SAVE
$39.59
Mind Reader Slide-On Under Desk File Organizer, No Tools Required, Hanging Storage for Laptops, Folders, and Notebooks, Metal, Black
6 Mind Reader Stackable Paper Tray, Desktop Organizer, File Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 4 Pcs., Black

Mind Reader Stackable Paper Tray, Desktop Organizer, File Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 4 Pcs., Black

  • ELEGANT METAL MESH DESIGN ELEVATES YOUR HOME OR OFFICE DECOR.

  • UNPACK AND USE INSTANTLY-NO ASSEMBLY HASSLE INVOLVED!

  • DURABLE, EASY-TO-CLEAN MATERIALS KEEP YOUR DOCUMENTS ORGANIZED.

BUY & SAVE
$28.81 $32.99
Save 13%
Mind Reader Stackable Paper Tray, Desktop Organizer, File Storage, Office, Metal Mesh, 4 Pcs., Black
7 Mind Reader Vertical File Storage, Desktop Organizer, Hanging Files, Office, Metal Mesh, 12.25"L x 5.5"W x 10"H, Black

Mind Reader Vertical File Storage, Desktop Organizer, Hanging Files, Office, Metal Mesh, 12.25"L x 5.5"W x 10"H, Black

  • SLEEK METAL MESH DESIGN ELEVATES ANY DECOR WITH MODERN SOPHISTICATION.
  • QUICK SNAP-TOGETHER ASSEMBLY-NO TOOLS NEEDED FOR HASSLE-FREE SETUP!
  • SEE-THROUGH DESIGN OFFERS EASY ACCESS TO FILES AND FOLDERS ANYTIME.
BUY & SAVE
$18.69 $19.99
Save 7%
Mind Reader Vertical File Storage, Desktop Organizer, Hanging Files, Office, Metal Mesh, 12.25"L x 5.5"W x 10"H, Black
8 Mind Reader Vertical File Storage, Desktop Organizer, Hanging Files, Office, Metal Mesh, 12.25" L x 5.5" W x 10" H, White

Mind Reader Vertical File Storage, Desktop Organizer, Hanging Files, Office, Metal Mesh, 12.25" L x 5.5" W x 10" H, White

  • SLEEK MODERN DESIGN FITS SEAMLESSLY INTO ANY DECOR!
  • QUICK, TOOL-FREE ASSEMBLY FOR EFFORTLESS SETUP IN MINUTES.
  • SEE-THROUGH MESH ALLOWS FOR EASY ACCESS TO YOUR ESSENTIALS!
BUY & SAVE
$15.79
Mind Reader Vertical File Storage, Desktop Organizer, Hanging Files, Office, Metal Mesh, 12.25" L x 5.5" W x 10" H, White
9 Mind Reader 5-Tier Paper Tray Organizer, Vertical Desktop File Storage Rack, Office, Metal Mesh, Black

Mind Reader 5-Tier Paper Tray Organizer, Vertical Desktop File Storage Rack, Office, Metal Mesh, Black

  • FIVE VIBRANT TRAYS SIMPLIFY SORTING FOR EASY ORGANIZATION.
  • PERFECT FOR CLASSROOMS, KEEPING STUDENT WORK NEATLY ARRANGED.
  • DURABLE DESIGN WITH EASY TRANSPORT FOR FLEXIBLE USE ANYWHERE.
BUY & SAVE
$24.00
Mind Reader 5-Tier Paper Tray Organizer, Vertical Desktop File Storage Rack, Office, Metal Mesh, Black
+
ONE MORE?

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:

  1. cat: The 'cat' command is used to display the entire contents of a file directly on the terminal.

Syntax: cat file_name

Example: cat readme.txt

  1. head: 'Head' displays the first few lines (by default, the first 10 lines) of a file on the terminal.

Syntax: head file_name

Example: head log.txt

  1. tail: 'Tail' displays the last few lines (by default, the last 10 lines) of a file on the terminal.

Syntax: tail file_name

Example: tail errors.log

  1. less: 'Less' allows you to view the contents of a file one page at a time in a scrollable manner.

Syntax: less file_name

Example: less report.txt

  1. more: 'More' is similar to 'less' and displays the file content one page at a time. You can navigate using the spacebar.

Syntax: more file_name

Example: more data.csv

  1. grep: 'Grep' is used to search for a specific pattern or text in the file and display matching lines.

Syntax: grep "pattern" file_name

Example: grep "error" log.txt

These commands provide different ways to read and view the contents of a file in the Linux terminal. Choose the appropriate command based on your requirements.

How to change the system date and time in Linux terminal?

To change the system date and time in Linux terminal, follow these steps:

  1. Open the terminal.
  2. Login as root user using the 'su' command or use the 'sudo' command for specific administrative privileges.
  3. Use the 'date' command to display the current system date and time: date
  4. Use the 'date' command with the desired date and time format to set the system date and time. The general syntax is: date +%Y%m%d -s "YYYYMMDD" (for setting date) and date +%T -s "HH:MM:SS" (for setting time). For example, to set the date to January 1, 2022 and the time to 12:00 PM, you would use the following commands: date +%Y%m%d -s "20220101" date +%T -s "12:00:00"
  5. Verify that the changes have been made by using the 'date' command: date

Note: Changing the system date and time may require administrative privileges, so make sure you have the necessary permissions to perform these operations.

What is the command to find and replace text in a file?

The command to find and replace text in a file depends on the operating system and text editor being used.

On Unix-like systems (such as Linux, macOS, etc.) and using the command line editor such as sed or awk, the command generally used is:

sed -i 's/text_to_find/text_to_replace/g' file.txt

This command will replace all occurrences of "text_to_find" with "text_to_replace" in "file.txt".

On Windows, the command prompt does not come with built-in tools for this task. However, you can use alternative tools like PowerShell or third-party tools like Notepad++, Sublime Text, etc., which have built-in find and replace functionality.

For example, in PowerShell, you can use:

(Get-Content -Path file.txt).replace('text_to_find', 'text_to_replace') | Set-Content -Path file.txt

This command performs a replacement in "file.txt" by replacing "text_to_find" with "text_to_replace".

In GUI-based editors like Notepad++, the find and replace command is typically found in the Edit menu or can be performed using the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl + H".

Keep in mind that the exact command might vary based on the specific requirements and tools you are using.

What is the command to check the disk space usage in Linux?

The command to check the disk space usage in Linux is:

df -h

The -h option is used to display the disk space usage in a human-readable format (e.g., gigabytes, terabytes).

How to check system information in Linux terminal?

There are several ways to check system information in the Linux terminal. Here are a few methods:

  1. Using the "uname" command: Open the terminal. Type the command "uname -a" and press Enter. This command will display the kernel name, version, and other system information.
  2. Using the "lsb_release" command: Open the terminal. Type the command "lsb_release -a" and press Enter. This command will display detailed information about the Linux distribution and release version.
  3. Using the "cat" command with specific system files: Open the terminal. Type the command "cat /proc/version" and press Enter. This command will display the kernel version and other system information. You can also use "cat /etc/os-release" or "cat /etc/lsb-release" to view specific Linux distribution information.
  4. Using the "lshw" command: Open the terminal. Type the command "sudo lshw" and press Enter. This command will display detailed hardware information about your system.
  5. Using the "inxi" command (if installed): Open the terminal. Type the command "inxi -Fxxx" and press Enter. If the "inxi" tool is installed, it will display comprehensive system information including hardware, software, and networking details.

Note: Some of the commands may require administrative privileges, so you might need to use "sudo" before the command or run the terminal as a root user.

What is the command to sort the contents of a file in Linux?

The command to sort the contents of a file in Linux is "sort".

The basic syntax for using the sort command is:

sort [options] [file]

For example, to sort the contents of a file called "example.txt" and display the sorted output on the terminal, you would use the following command:

sort example.txt

By default, sort sorts the contents of the file in ascending order based on the alphanumeric values of the lines. If you want to sort in descending order, you can use the "-r" option like this:

sort -r example.txt

There are several other options available with the sort command for customizing the sorting behavior, such as ignoring case, numeric sorting, specifying a field delimiter, sorting by a specific column, etc. You can refer to the man page for the sort command (by typing "man sort" in the terminal) to explore these options in detail.