5 ways to examine the content of files on Linux How to use the cat, more, head and tail commands to look at the content of Linux files, not just text files. Simply open a Terminal and type the following command: cat file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt. Obviously, replace the file names in the above example with your own. The combined contents of the three text files will appear in your terminal. RELATED: Become a Linux Terminal Power User With These 8 Tricks.
In this Linux beginner series, you’ll learn various methods to create a text file in Linux terminal.
If you have used the desktop oriented operating system such as Windows, creating file is a piece of cake. You right click in the file explorer and you would find the option of creating new file.
Things won’t look the same when you are in a command line environment. There is no right click option here. So how do you create a file in Linux then? Let me show you that.
Create file in Linux command line
There are various ways of creating a new file in Linux terminal. I’ll show you the commands one by one. I am using Ubuntu here but creating files in Ubuntu terminal is the same as any other Linux distribution.
1. Create an empty file using touch command
One of the biggest usages of the touch command in Linux is to create a new empty file. The syntax is super simple.
If the file doesn’t exist already, it will create a new empty file. If a file with the same name exists already, it will update the timestamps of the file.
2. Create files using cat command
Another popular way of creating new file is by using the cat command in Linux. The cat command is mostly used for viewing the content of a file but you can use it to create new file as well.
You can write some new text at this time if you want but that’s not necessary. To save and exit, use Ctrl+Dterminal shortcut.
If the file with that name already exists and you write new text in it using the cat command, the new lines will be appended at the end of the file.
3. Create new file using echo command
The main use of the echo command is to simply repeat (echo) what you type on the screen. But if you use the redirection with echo, you can create a new file.
To create a new empty file using echo you can use something like this:
The newly created filename.txt file will have the following text: This is a sample text. You can view the file in Linux using cat or other viewing commands.
You are not obliged to put a sample text with echo. You can create an (almost) empty file using the echo command like this:
This will create a new file with just one empty line. You can check the number of lines with wc command.
4. Create a new file using a text editor like Nano or Vim
The last method in this series is the use of a text editor. A terminal-based text editor such as Emacs, Vim or Nano can surely be used for creating a new file in Linux.
Before you use these text editors, you should make sure that you know the basics such as saving an existing from the editor. Unlike the GUI tools, using Ctrl+S in the terminal won’t save the file. It could, in fact, send your terminal into a seemingly frozen state from which you recover using Ctrl+Q.
Let’s say you are going to use Vim editor. Make sure that you are aware of the basic vim commands, and then open a new file with it like this:
What’s your favorite command?
So, I just shared 4 different ways of creating a file in Linux. Personally, I prefer using touch for creating empty file and Vim if I have to edit the file. On a related note, you may want to learn about the file command in Linux that is helpful in determining the actual type of the file.
Which command do you prefer here? Please share your views in the comment section below.
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The way professionals do it
- Open Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.
- Find where the .sh file. Use the ls and cd commands. ls will list the files and folders in the current folder. Give it a try: type “ls” and press Enter.
- Run the .sh file. Once you can see for example script1.sh with ls run this: ./script.sh.
How do you execute a file in Linux?
Installing .run files in ubuntu:
- Open a terminal(Applications>>Accessories>>Terminal).
- Navigate to the directory of the .run file.
- If you have your *.run in your desktop then type the following in terminal to get into Desktop and press Enter.
- Then type chmod +x filename.run and press Enter.
How do I run a file in Terminal?
Tips
- Press “Enter” on the keyboard after every command you enter into Terminal.
- You can also execute a file without changing to its directory by specifying the full path. Type “/path/to/NameOfFile” without quotation marks at the command prompt. Remember to set the executable bit using the chmod command first.
How do I run a batch file in Linux?
Batch files can be run by typing “start FILENAME.bat”. Alternately, type “wine cmd” to run the Windows-Console in the Linux terminal. When in the native Linux shell, the batch files can be executed by typing “wine cmd.exe /c FILENAME.bat” or any of the following ways.
How do I run a .PY file in Linux?
Linux (advanced)[edit]
- save your hello.py program in the ~/pythonpractice folder.
- Open up the terminal program.
- Type cd ~/pythonpractice to change directory to your pythonpractice folder, and hit Enter.
- Type chmod a+x hello.py to tell Linux that it is an executable program.
- Type ./hello.py to run your program!
How do I open a file in Linux terminal?
Part 3 Using Vim
- Type vi filename.txt into Terminal.
- Press ↵ Enter .
- Press your computer’s i key.
- Enter your document’s text.
- Press the Esc key.
- Type :w into Terminal and press ↵ Enter .
- Type :q into Terminal and press ↵ Enter .
- Reopen the file from the Terminal window.
How do I run a Java file in Terminal?
Just follow these simple steps:
- From Terminal install open jdk sudo apt-get install openjdk-7-jdk.
- Write a java program and save the file as filename.java.
- Now to compile use this command from the terminal javac filename. java.
- To run your program that you’ve just compiled type the command below in terminal: java filename.
How do I run sublime from terminal?
Assuming you installed Sublime in the Applications folder, the following command should open up the editor when you type it into the Terminal:
- For Sublime Text 2: open /Applications/Sublime Text 2.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl.
- For Sublime Text 3:
- For Sublime Text 2:
- For Sublime Text 3:
How do I run a .sh file?
Steps to write and execute a script
- Open the terminal. Go to the directory where you want to create your script.
- Create a file with .sh extension.
- Write the script in the file using an editor.
- Make the script executable with command chmod +x <fileName>.
- Run the script using ./<fileName>.
How do I run an executable in Linux terminal?
Terminal. First, open the Terminal, then mark the file as executable with the chmod command. Now you can execute the file in the terminal. If an error message including a problem such as ‘permission denied’ appears, use sudo to run it as root (admin).
Does bat file works on Linux?
When a batch file is run, the shell program (usually COMMAND.COM or cmd.exe) reads the file and executes its commands, normally line-by-line. Unix-like operating systems, such as Linux, have a similar, but more flexible, type of file called a shell script. The filename extension .bat is used in DOS and Windows.
What is .sh file in Linux?
sh files are unix (linux) shell executables files, they are the equivalent (but much more powerful) of bat files on windows. So you need to run it from a linux console, just typing its name the same you do with bat files on windows.
How do I run a .PY file in Unix?
Making a Python script executable and runnable from anywhere
- Add this line as the first line in the script: #!/usr/bin/env python3.
- At the unix command prompt, type the following to make myscript.py executable: $ chmod +x myscript.py.
- Move myscript.py into your bin directory, and it will be runnable from anywhere.
How do I run a Python script in Linux?
4 Answers
- Make sure the file is executable: chmod +x script.py.
- Use a shebang to let the kernel know what interpreter to use. The top line of the script should read: #!/usr/bin/python. This assumes that your script will run with the default python.
How do I run a .PY file in Terminal windows?
Run your script
- Open Command line: Start menu -> Run and type cmd.
- Type: C:python27python.exe Z:codehw01script.py.
- Or if your system is configured correctly, you can drag and drop your script from Explorer onto the Command Line window and press enter.
How do I run a file in Linux?
Run the .sh file. To run the .sh file (in Linux and iOS) in command line, just follow these two steps: open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T), then go in the unzipped folder (using the command cd /your_url) run the file with the following command.
How do I open a .sh file in Linux?
open Nautilus and right click the script.sh file. check the “run executable text files when they are opened”.
Option 2
- In the terminal, navigate to the directory the bash file is in.
- Run chmod +x <filename>.sh.
- In Nautilus, open the file.
How do I open a file in Ubuntu?
To add options for opening files and folders as Administrator to the right-click menu, we’re going to install Nautilus Admin. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a Terminal window. Then, type the following command and press Enter. When you’re asked if you want to continue, type a “y” (lowercase or uppercase) and press Enter.
How do I run a SQL script in Linux?
To run a script as you start SQL*Plus, use one of the following options:
- Follow the SQLPLUS command with your username, a slash, a space, @, and the name of the file: SQLPLUS HR @SALES. SQL*Plus starts, prompts for your password and runs the script.
- Include your username as the first line of the file.
How do I run a bash file?
To create a bash script, you place #!/bin/bash at the top of the file. To execute the script from the current directory, you can run ./scriptname and pass any parameters you wish. When the shell executes a script, it finds the #!/path/to/interpreter .
How do I create a script in Linux?
Scripts are used to run a series of commands. Bash is available by default on Linux and macOS operating systems.
Create a simple Git deployment script.
- Create a bin directory.
- Export your bin directory to the PATH.
- Create a script file and make it executable.
How do I run a .bat file?
To run a batch file from Command Prompt, use these steps.
- Open Start.
- Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
- Type the path and the name of the batch file and press Enter: C:PATHTOFOLDERBATCH-NAME.bat.
How do I install Linux packages?
To install a new package, complete the following steps:
- Run the dpkg command to ensure that the package is not already installed on the system: ?
- If the package is installed already, ensure it is the version you need.
- Run apt-get update then install the package and upgrade:
How do I run a .sh file in Terminal Mac?
Open Terminal, type in sh /path/to/file and press enter. Faster is to type sh and a space and then drag the file to the window and release the icon anywhere on the window. Follow these steps to run the script files: Right-click on the .sh file.
How do I create a .sh file in Linux terminal?
Steps
- Launch the Terminal.
- Launch the vi/vim editor.
- In the terminal window, type vim ListDir.sh and hit ↵ Enter .
- At the top, type the following code: #!/bin/bash .
- Type the code as shown in the figure.
- Type the following key combinations, Esc + : + wq to escape the editor.
- Enter the following command: chmod +x ListDir.sh.
What is the use of sh command in Linux?
sh is a command language interpreter that executes commands read from a command line string, the standard input, or a specified file. The Bourne shell was developed in 1977 by Stephen Bourne at AT&T’s Bell Labs in 1977. It was the default shell of Unix Version 7.
Bash Edit Text File
How do you create a file in Linux?
How to create a text file on Linux:
How To Open Linux Terminal
- Using touch to create a text file: $ touch NewFile.txt.
- Using cat to create a new file: $ cat NewFile.txt.
- Simply using > to create a text file: $ > NewFile.txt.
- Lastly, we can use any text editor name and then create the file, such as:
Photo in the article by “Wikimedia Commons”
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vnstat_-q.jpg
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