The cat (short for concatenate) command is used to write short text files to the screen for viewing. However, if the text file requires more than one screen of space the cat command will scroll through the text file too fast for viewing. Therefore the command is used more often for it's ability to combine two text files together into one.

If the text scrolls too fast then use Control -s to stop the text from scrolling. You can then use Control -q to restart scrolling after it has been stopped.

Note: If you are using a scrolling window (like the terminal in KDE) you will be able to use the cat command and scroll backward through the text. This luxury is not available at the command line.

Command Format

cat filename(s)

Example

$ cat chuck

Charlie Brown's friend

Charlie Brown's friend was one of the first comic strips to feature more than two or three characters. Just like in your own family relationships, the Charlie Brown's friend characters bring special humor and insight to everyday life.