Viewing and Editing Files

Viewing and Editing Files#

When working on research projects or data analysis in Linux, it’s common to view or edit text files directly from the command line. Here’s a quick guide to the basic tools you’ll encounter.

File Viewing Tools#

These commands allow you to view the contents of a file without opening it in a full editor:

  • cat filename – Outputs the entire file to the terminal. Best for small files.

  • less filename – Opens the file in a scrollable view. Use arrow keys to navigate, q to quit. Recommended for long files.

  • head filename – Displays the first 10 lines of a file. Add -n to specify a different number (e.g., head -n 20 filename).

  • tail filename – Shows the last 10 lines of a file. Great for checking logs.

Editing Files with nano#

For quick edits, nano is a simple and beginner-friendly text editor:

  • Open a file: nano filename

  • Edit text directly in the terminal.

  • Use Ctrl + O to save, Ctrl + X to exit, and Ctrl + K to cut a line.

Nano is available by default on most Linux systems and is easy to use, especially for newcomers.

Advanced Editors#

For more powerful editing, especially in programming or large-scale text processing:

  • Vim – A modal editor with extensive keyboard shortcuts and scripting capabilities.

  • Emacs – Highly customizable and extendable, used by many power users.

These editors have a steeper learning curve but offer advanced functionality. If you’re interested in programming, automation, or handling large text files, they’re worth exploring.

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