Windows
Linux
Text Processing
PowerShell Text
Windows PowerShell Get-Content -Head equivalent in Linux
Prints the beginning of a file.
Windows
→
PowerShell Get-Content -Head
Linux equivalents
head -n 20 file
head -n 20 file
head -n 20 file
Overview
What this command does
Prints the beginning of a file.
Migration tip: Check the distro-specific rows before copying; package names and service names can differ even when the tool name is similar.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Show first lines
Prints the beginning of a file.
head -n 20 file
Show first lines
head --help
Show command help when supported
man head
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
head -n 20 file
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: PowerShell Get-Content -Head
head -n 20 fileReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
head -n 20 file | Show first lines |
head --help | Show command help when supported |
man head | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
The equivalent is shown for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch. Some rows use a different package manager or helper tool where Linux distributions commonly diverge.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | head -n 20 file |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | head -n 20 file |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | head -n 20 file |
Same command on this distribution. |
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