Which command is used to view the last few lines of a file?

Prepare for the Linux Professional Institute Certification Level 1. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Enhance your understanding and get ready to ace the exam!

The command used to view the last few lines of a file is "tail." It is designed specifically for this purpose, allowing users to see the end of a file's content, which can be especially useful for monitoring log files that are frequently updated. The default behavior of "tail" is to display the last 10 lines, but this can be modified by providing an option to specify a different number of lines.

For example, running tail -n 20 filename would show the last 20 lines of the specified file. This feature allows users to quickly assess the most recent entries in a file without having to scroll through the entire document.

In contrast, "head" is used to display the first few lines of a file, while "cat" outputs the entire content of the file to the terminal, which is not suitable for viewing just the last lines. The "more" command is used for paging through the content of a file, but it also does not specifically focus on the last lines.

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