What does the command 'tail' do?

What does the command 'tail' do?

• A. Displays the first few lines of a file
• B. Displays the last few lines of a file
• C. Shows file permissions
• D. Creates a backup of a file

Answer: (B)

The command 'tail' is specifically designed to display the last few lines of a file, making option B the correct choice. This functionality is particularly useful for monitoring log files or any file where it is important to see the most recent additions, as opposed to the initial content. By default, 'tail' shows the last ten lines, but this can be customized with options to show more or fewer lines as needed. The command is frequently used in shell scripting and command line operations to analyze the end of files quickly, especially when dealing with logs that grow constantly, such as system logs or application logs. Its ability to follow the growing output of a file in real-time, using the '-f' option, adds to its utility in troubleshooting and system monitoring tasks.

The command 'tail' is specifically designed to display the last few lines of a file, making option B the correct choice. This functionality is particularly useful for monitoring log files or any file where it is important to see the most recent additions, as opposed to the initial content. By default, 'tail' shows the last ten lines, but this can be customized with options to show more or fewer lines as needed.

The command is frequently used in shell scripting and command line operations to analyze the end of files quickly, especially when dealing with logs that grow constantly, such as system logs or application logs. Its ability to follow the growing output of a file in real-time, using the '-f' option, adds to its utility in troubleshooting and system monitoring tasks.