Linux Basic Commands: cat | OpenPath Education

Linux provides a set of powerful and commonly used commands to interact with the system efficiently. The `cd` command is used to change directories, while `ls` lists the contents of a directory. To clear the terminal screen, the `clear` command is used. The `mkdir` command helps create new folders, and `pwd` shows the current working directory. The `rm` command is used to remove files or directories, and `touch` is used to create empty files. To edit or view text files directly in the terminal, `vi` is a powerful editor. The `/` symbol represents the root directory, which is the top level of the Linux filesystem. To manage users, `adduser` is used to create a new user, and `userdel` is used to delete an existing one. The `history` command displays a list of previously executed commands, allowing users to track or reuse them easily. These commands form the foundation for working effectively in a Linux environment.

10. cat

`cat` Command in Linux

cat stands for "concatenate", but it’s commonly used to view the contents of a file.

🔹 Basic Syntax:

cat [options] filename

🔹 Most Common Uses & Examples:

✅ 1. View contents of a file

cat file.txt

👉 Displays the content of file.txt in the terminal.

✅ 2. Create a new file using `cat`

cat > newfile.txt

Then type your content:

Hello, this is a new file.

Press Ctrl + D to save and exit.

✅ 3. Append content to an existing file

cat >> file.txt

Type new content and press Ctrl + D.

✅ 4. Combine multiple files into one

cat file1.txt file2.txt > combined.txt

👉 Combines file1.txt and file2.txt into combined.txt.

✅ 5. Show line numbers

cat -n file.txt

👉 Displays the file with line numbers:

     1  This is line 1
     2  This is line 2

🔹 Summary Table:

Task	Command
View file	`cat file.txt`
Create file	`cat > file.txt`
Append file	`cat >> file.txt`
Combine files	`cat file1 file2 > newfile`
Line numbers	`cat -n file.txt`

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