How To Read A Text File On A Linux Server Using SSH
To read a text file in a Linux SSH terminal, users have several command-line tools available, each suited for different needs.
The simplest command is catone that outputs the entire file content to the terminal.
It’s best suited for small files that fit within a single screen. For larger files, it less is a more practical option.
It opens the file in a scrollable interface, allowing navigation with the arrow keys and quitting with the q key.
Another command also displays the file one screen at a time, though with fewer navigation features than less.
For quick previews, it head shows the first few lines of a file (default is 10), while it tail shows the last few lines.
These can be extended -n to display a custom number of lines.
Additionally, tail -f is useful for real-time monitoring, such as watching logs as they update.
These commands are essential for developers, system administrators, and anyone managing Linux servers remotely via SSH.
They provide fast and flexible access to file contents directly from the terminal without needing a graphical interface, making them indispensable tools in Unix-based environments.
📖 Basic Commands to Read a File In Linux Via SSH
cat – View the whole file at once
cat filename.txt
- Best for small files.
- Displays the entire content at once.
less – Scrollable viewer (best for large files)
less filename.txt
- Use the arrow keys or Page Up/Page Down to scroll.
- Press
qto quit.
more – Scroll by screen (simpler than less)
more filename.txt
- Press Enter for the next line, Space for the next page.
- Press
qto quit.
head – View the first few lines
head filename.txt
- Shows the first 10 lines by default.
head -n 20 filename.txt # Show first 20 linestail – View the last few lines
tail filename.txt
- Shows the last 10 lines by default.
tail -n 20 filename.txt # Show last 20 linesBonus: Follow a file live (like a log file)
tail -f filename.txt
- Useful for monitoring log files in real-time.
✅ Example Use:
cd /var/log
less syslogWhen you’re done reading the file.
If you’re using:
-
lessormore: Pressqto quit. -
cat,head, ortail: These exit automatically after displaying the content.
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