{
"content": [
{
"type": "text",
"text": "# head(1) (man)\n\n## TLDR\n\n> Output the first part of files.\n\n- Output the first few lines of a file:\n `head -n {{count}} {{path/to/file}}`\n\n*Source: tldr-pages*\n\n---\n\n**Summary:** head - output the first part of files\n\n**Synopsis:** head [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n## Flags\n\n| Flag | Long | Arg | Description |\n|------|------|-----|-------------|\n| -c | --bytes | — | print the first NUM bytes of each file; with the leading '-', print all but the last NUM bytes of each file |\n| -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 |\n| -q | --silent | — | never print headers giving file names |\n| -v | --verbose | — | always print headers giving file names |\n| -z | --zero-terminated | — | line delimiter is NUL, not newline --help display this help and exit |\n| — | --version | — | output version information and exit NUM may have a multiplier suffix: b 512, kB 1000, K 1024, MB 1000*1000, M 1024*1024, |\n\n## See Also\n\n- tail(1)\n\n## Section Outline\n\n- **NAME** (2 lines)\n- **SYNOPSIS** (2 lines)\n- **DESCRIPTION** (7 lines) — 6 subsections\n - -c --bytes (3 lines)\n - -n --lines (3 lines)\n - -q --quiet --silent (2 lines)\n - -v --verbose (2 lines)\n - -z --zero-terminated (4 lines)\n - --version (6 lines)\n- **AUTHOR** (2 lines)\n- **REPORTING BUGS** (3 lines)\n- **COPYRIGHT** (5 lines)\n- **SEE ALSO** (8 lines)\n\n## Full Content\n\n### NAME\n\nhead - output the first part of files\n\n### SYNOPSIS\n\nhead [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n\n### DESCRIPTION\n\nPrint the first 10 lines of each FILE to standard output. With more than one FILE, precede\neach with a header giving the file name.\n\nWith no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n\nMandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.\n\n#### -c --bytes\n\nprint the first NUM bytes of each file; with the leading '-', print all but the last\nNUM bytes of each file\n\n#### -n --lines\n\nprint the first NUM lines instead of the first 10; with the leading '-', print all but\nthe last NUM lines of each file\n\n#### -q --quiet --silent\n\nnever print headers giving file names\n\n#### -v --verbose\n\nalways print headers giving file names\n\n#### -z --zero-terminated\n\nline delimiter is NUL, not newline\n\n--help display this help and exit\n\n#### --version\n\noutput version information and exit\n\nNUM may have a multiplier suffix: b 512, kB 1000, K 1024, MB 1000*1000, M 1024*1024, GB\n1000*1000*1000, G 1024*1024*1024, and so on for T, P, E, Z, Y. Binary prefixes can be used,\ntoo: KiB=K, MiB=M, and so on.\n\n### AUTHOR\n\nWritten by David MacKenzie and Jim Meyering.\n\n### REPORTING BUGS\n\nGNU coreutils online help: \nReport any translation bugs to \n\n### COPYRIGHT\n\nCopyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later\n.\nThis is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to\nthe extent permitted by law.\n\n### SEE ALSO\n\ntail(1)\n\nFull documentation \nor available locally via: info '(coreutils) head invocation'\n\n\n\nGNU coreutils 8.32 January 2026 HEAD(1)\n\n"
}
],
"structuredContent": {
"command": "head",
"section": "1",
"mode": "man",
"summary": "head - output the first part of files",
"synopsis": "head [OPTION]... [FILE]...",
"tldr_summary": "Output the first part of files.",
"tldr_examples": [
{
"description": "Output the first few lines of a file",
"command": "head -n {{count}} {{path/to/file}}"
}
],
"tldr_source": "official",
"flags": [
{
"flag": "-c",
"long": "--bytes",
"arg": null,
"description": "print the first NUM bytes of each file; with the leading '-', print all but the last NUM bytes of each file"
},
{
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--lines",
"arg": null,
"description": "print the first NUM lines instead of the first 10; with the leading '-', print all but the last NUM lines of each file"
},
{
"flag": "-q",
"long": "--silent",
"arg": null,
"description": "never print headers giving file names"
},
{
"flag": "-v",
"long": "--verbose",
"arg": null,
"description": "always print headers giving file names"
},
{
"flag": "-z",
"long": "--zero-terminated",
"arg": null,
"description": "line delimiter is NUL, not newline --help display this help and exit"
},
{
"flag": "",
"long": "--version",
"arg": null,
"description": "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. Binary prefixes can be used, too: KiB=K, MiB=M, and so on."
}
],
"examples": [],
"see_also": [
{
"name": "tail",
"section": "1",
"url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/tail/1/json"
}
],
"section_outline": [
{
"name": "NAME",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "SYNOPSIS",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "DESCRIPTION",
"lines": 7,
"subsections": [
{
"name": "-c --bytes",
"lines": 3,
"flag": "-c",
"long": "--bytes"
},
{
"name": "-n --lines",
"lines": 3,
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--lines"
},
{
"name": "-q --quiet --silent",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-q",
"long": "--silent"
},
{
"name": "-v --verbose",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-v",
"long": "--verbose"
},
{
"name": "-z --zero-terminated",
"lines": 4,
"flag": "-z",
"long": "--zero-terminated"
},
{
"name": "--version",
"lines": 6,
"long": "--version"
}
]
},
{
"name": "AUTHOR",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "REPORTING BUGS",
"lines": 3,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "COPYRIGHT",
"lines": 5,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "SEE ALSO",
"lines": 8,
"subsections": []
}
],
"sections": {
"NAME": {
"content": "head - output the first part of files\n",
"subsections": []
},
"SYNOPSIS": {
"content": "head [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n",
"subsections": []
},
"DESCRIPTION": {
"content": "Print the first 10 lines of each FILE to standard output. With more than one FILE, precede\neach with a header giving the file name.\n\nWith no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n\nMandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.\n",
"subsections": [
{
"name": "-c --bytes",
"content": "print the first NUM bytes of each file; with the leading '-', print all but the last\nNUM bytes of each file\n",
"flag": "-c",
"long": "--bytes"
},
{
"name": "-n --lines",
"content": "print the first NUM lines instead of the first 10; with the leading '-', print all but\nthe last NUM lines of each file\n",
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--lines"
},
{
"name": "-q --quiet --silent",
"content": "never print headers giving file names\n",
"flag": "-q",
"long": "--silent"
},
{
"name": "-v --verbose",
"content": "always print headers giving file names\n",
"flag": "-v",
"long": "--verbose"
},
{
"name": "-z --zero-terminated",
"content": "line delimiter is NUL, not newline\n\n--help display this help and exit\n",
"flag": "-z",
"long": "--zero-terminated"
},
{
"name": "--version",
"content": "output version information and exit\n\nNUM may have a multiplier suffix: b 512, kB 1000, K 1024, MB 1000*1000, M 1024*1024, GB\n1000*1000*1000, G 1024*1024*1024, and so on for T, P, E, Z, Y. Binary prefixes can be used,\ntoo: KiB=K, MiB=M, and so on.\n",
"long": "--version"
}
]
},
"AUTHOR": {
"content": "Written by David MacKenzie and Jim Meyering.\n",
"subsections": []
},
"REPORTING BUGS": {
"content": "GNU coreutils online help: \nReport any translation bugs to \n",
"subsections": []
},
"COPYRIGHT": {
"content": "Copyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later\n.\nThis is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to\nthe extent permitted by law.\n",
"subsections": []
},
"SEE ALSO": {
"content": "tail(1)\n\nFull documentation \nor available locally via: info '(coreutils) head invocation'\n\n\n\nGNU coreutils 8.32 January 2026 HEAD(1)",
"subsections": []
}
}
}
}