How to Print a File, Skipping the First X Lines in Bash

by

Printing a file while skipping the first X lines is a common task in shell scripting and command-line operations. This guide will walk you through the process of achieving this using Bash commands, ensuring clarity and ease of understanding.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  1. Access to a terminal on a Linux or Unix-based system.
  2. Basic knowledge of Bash commands.

Step-by-Step Guide to Skip the First X Lines and Print a File

1. Using tail Command

The tail command is commonly used to display the last part of a file. By specifying a starting point with the + sign followed by the line number, you can skip the first X lines and print the rest of the file.

Syntax:

tail -n +X filename

Replace X with the number of lines you want to skip, and filename with the name of the file you want to print.

Example:

To skip the first 5 lines and print the remaining content of a file named example.txt, use the following command:

tail -n +6 example.txt

Explanation:

  • tail: Command to display the end of a file.
  • -n +6: Specifies to start displaying from the 6th line (skipping the first 5 lines).
  • example.txt: The name of the file you want to print.

2. Combining head and tail Commands

Alternatively, you can achieve the same result by combining the head and tail commands. This method provides more flexibility, especially if you want to print a specific range of lines.

Syntax:

head -n +X filename | tail -n +1

Example:

To skip the first 3 lines and print the remaining content of a file named example.txt, use the following command:

head -n +3 example.txt | tail -n +4

Explanation:

  • head -n +3: Displays the first 3 lines of example.txt.
  • tail -n +4: Displays from the 4th line onwards (skipping the first 3 lines).

Notes:

  • Adjust X in the commands to skip the desired number of lines.
  • Both methods (tail alone and head + tail) achieve the same result, but head + tail can be more versatile for specific line ranges.

Conclusion

Skipping the first X lines and printing a file in Bash is straightforward using the tail command or combining head and tail commands. These methods are efficient for various scripting and command-line tasks, allowing you to manipulate file output as needed in your Linux or Unix-based environment.