cat

The cat command in Linux is a versatile tool used primarily for viewing file contents. It stands for “concatenate,” making it useful not only for displaying text files but also for creating new files, appending text, and more.

Example Commands:

cat filename.txt

This command displays the content of filename.txt.

cat > newfile.txt

Typing text and pressing Ctrl+D creates a new file named newfile.txt with the input.

cat -n file.txt

Displays each line of file.txt with a number prefix.

cat -s file.txt

Reduces multiple consecutive blank lines to one in file.txt.

cat file1.txt file2.txt > combined.txt

Combines the contents of file1.txt and file2.txt into combined.txt.

ls | grep .txt | cat

Pipes the list of files ending with .txt to cat, displaying their content.

The cat command is a fundamental tool in Linux for viewing, creating, and manipulating text files. Its simplicity makes it accessible to new users while its flexibility allows experienced users to perform more complex tasks efficiently. Mastery of cat enhances productivity in file handling and system