The head command is used on Linux systems at the terminal. This information was obtained from a Kali Linux distribution using man head.
NAME
head – output the first part of files
SYNOPSIS
head [OPTION]... [FILE]...
DESCRIPTION
Print the first 10 lines of each FILE to standard output. With more than one FILE, precede each with a header giving the file name.
With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
| Options | Purpose |
|---|---|
| -c, --bytes=[-]NUM | print the first NUM bytes of each file; with the leading '-', print all but the last NUM bytes of each file |
| -n, --lines=[-]NUM | print the first NUM lines instead of the first 10; with the leading '-', print all but the last NUM lines of each file |
| -q, --quiet, --silent | never print headers giving file names |
| -v, --verbose | always print headers giving file names |
| -z, --zero-terminated | line delimiter is NUL, not newline |
| --help | display this help and exit |
| --version | output version information and exit |
NUM may have a multiplier suffix: b 512, kB 1000, K 1024, MB 1000*1000, M 1024*1024, GB 1000*1000*1000, G 1024*1024*1024, and so on for T, P, E, Z, Y.
AUTHOR
Written by David MacKenzie and Jim Meyering.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.