Which command would you use to search for a specific string in a file?

Study for the LPI Linux Essentials Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which command would you use to search for a specific string in a file?

Explanation:
The command that is used to search for a specific string in a file is `grep`. This command stands for "global regular expression print," and it is designed to search through text using patterns specified by the user. When you use `grep`, you can specify a string or a regular expression, and it will search through the contents of the specified file(s) to find matches. For example, using `grep "text" filename.txt` will display all lines in `filename.txt` that contain the string "text." Other commands listed serve different purposes. For instance, `find` is primarily used for locating files and directories within the directory hierarchy based on various criteria, such as name, type, or modification time. The `search` command does not exist in standard Linux command sets, and while `locate` is useful for quickly finding the path of files on the system based on a pre-built database, it does not search for specific strings within the contents of files. Thus, `grep` is the most suitable and effective command for searching for a specific string in a file.

The command that is used to search for a specific string in a file is grep. This command stands for "global regular expression print," and it is designed to search through text using patterns specified by the user. When you use grep, you can specify a string or a regular expression, and it will search through the contents of the specified file(s) to find matches. For example, using grep "text" filename.txt will display all lines in filename.txt that contain the string "text."

Other commands listed serve different purposes. For instance, find is primarily used for locating files and directories within the directory hierarchy based on various criteria, such as name, type, or modification time. The search command does not exist in standard Linux command sets, and while locate is useful for quickly finding the path of files on the system based on a pre-built database, it does not search for specific strings within the contents of files. Thus, grep is the most suitable and effective command for searching for a specific string in a file.

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