linux echo command – display a line of text.
Echo command is one of the most commonly used commands and is commonly used in scripting languages to display a line of text/string on a standard output or file.
syntax
echo [SHORT-OPTION]... [STRING]...
options
- -n
do not output the trailing newline - -e
enable interpretation of backslash escapes - -E
disable interpretation of backslash escapes (default) - –help
display this help and exit - –version
output version information and exit
If –e is in effect, the following sequences are recognized:
\\ backslash
\a alert (BEL)
\b backspace
\c produce no further output
\e escape
\f form feed
\n new line
\r carriage return
\t horizontal tab
\v vertical tab
\0NNN byte with octal value NNN (1 to 3 digits)
\xHH byte with hexadecimal value HH (1 to 2 digits)
examples
empty file
In the following example, we can use the echo command to create an empty file. Of course, you can also use the touch command to create an empty file.
➜ ~ echo > test.txt
OR
➜ ~ echo ""> test.txt
![](https://www.linuxcommands.site/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/image-135-1024x172.png)
echo newline or Multi-line, using optino “-e” and “\n”
➜ ~ echo -e "hello! \nylspirit"
append file content using echo
In the following example, we can append content to a file using the echo command and “>>” concatenation.
➜ ~ echo "ylspirit" >> test.txt
echo content to file
➜ ~ echo "hahaha, hello, ylspirit" > test.txt
print the variable value using echo command – echo $
➜ ~ x=100
➜ ~ echo $x
100
➜ ~
print all the files/folder using echo command
➜ echo *
print files of a specific kind using echo command
➜ echo *.txt