<h2 id="heading-head"><code>head</code> 📜</h2>
<p>Displays file content from beginning.</p>
<h2 id="heading-print-first-n-lines-of-a-file-n">Print first N lines of a file <code>-n</code></h2>
<pre><code class="lang-sh">head -n 5 ~/.bashrc
</code></pre>
<h2 id="heading-print-all-but-n-last-lines-n-n">Print all but N last lines <code>-n -N</code></h2>
<pre><code class="lang-sh">tail -n -3 ~/.bashrc
</code></pre>
<h2 id="heading-print-first-n-bytes-of-a-file-c">Print first N bytes of a file <code>-c</code></h2>
<pre><code class="lang-sh">head -c 1k ~/.bashrc
</code></pre>
<blockquote>
<p>Prints first 1k of file binary content.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="heading-print-all-but-n-last-bytes-c-n">Print all but N last bytes <code>-c -N</code></h2>
<pre><code class="lang-sh">tail -c -1k ~/.bashrc
</code></pre>


## `head` 📜

Displays file content from beginning.

## Print first N lines of a file `-n`

```sh
head -n 5 ~/.bashrc
```

## Print all but N last lines `-n -N`

```sh
tail -n -3 ~/.bashrc
```

## Print first N bytes of a file `-c`

```sh
head -c 1k ~/.bashrc
```

> Prints first 1k of file binary content.

## Print all but N last bytes `-c -N`

```sh
tail -c -1k ~/.bashrc
```



Babak K. Shandiz's Blog

Babak K. Shandiz's Blog

Living in the Shell #21; head (Display File Content From Beginning)

`head` 📜

Print first N lines of a file `-n`

Print all but N last lines `-n -N`

Print first N bytes of a file `-c`

Print all but N last bytes `-c -N`

Living in the Shell #21; head (Display File Content From Beginning)

head 📜

Print first N lines of a file -n

Print all but N last lines -n -N

Print first N bytes of a file -c

Print all but N last bytes -c -N

`head` 📜

Print first N lines of a file `-n`

Print all but N last lines `-n -N`

Print first N bytes of a file `-c`

Print all but N last bytes `-c -N`