| Category | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cat file1 | view the contents of a file starting from the first row | |
| tac file1 | view the contents of a file starting from the last line | |
| more file1 | view content of a file along | |
| less file1 | similar to 'more' command but which allows backward movement in the file as well as forward movement | |
| head -2 file1 | view first two lines of a file | |
| tail -2 file1 | view last two lines of a file | |
| tail -f /var/log/messages | view in real time what is added to a file |