| -c--bytes | print the first NUM bytes of each file; with the leading '-', print all but the last NUM bytes of each file |
| -n--lines | 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 |
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.
- -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, R, Q. Binary prefixes can be used, too: KiB=K, MiB=M, and so on.
AUTHOR
Written by David MacKenzie and Jim Meyering.
REPORTING BUGS
GNU coreutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/> Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>
SEE ALSO
tail(1)
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/head> or available locally via: info '(coreutils) head invocation'
Packaged by Debian (9.7-3) Copyright © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.