How To Create Files in Linux From a Bash Shell Prompt

1. cat command
2. echo or printf command
3. Nano text editor
4. vi text editor
5. joe text editor
6. Any other console based text editor

Create a Text File using cat command

To create a text file called foo.txt, enter:
$ cat > foo.txt
Output:

This is a test.
Hello world!
press CTRL+D to save file

To display file contents, type:
$ cat foo.txt

Create a text file using echo or printf command

To create a file called foo.txt, enter:

echo 'This is a test' > foo.txt

OR

printf 'This is a test\n' > foo.txt

OR

printf 'This is a test\n Another line' > foo.txt

To display file contents, type:
$ cat foo.txt

Create a Text File using nano text editor

Nano is a text editor from GNU project for Linux or Unix-like system. To create a file named foo.txt, run:
$ nano foo.txt
Sample outputs:

GNU nano is a simple terminal-based text editor for Linux/Unix

Create a Text File using joe text editor

JOE is text editor. To create a file called foo.txt, type:
$ joe -help foo.txt
You will see help menu on screen. Next type something. To save the file and leave joe, by typing ^KX (press CTRL+K+X).

Create a Text File using vi / vim text editor

vi / vim is another text editor. To create a file called bar.txt, type:
$ vi bar.txt
Press ‘i’ to insert new text. To save the file and leave vi, type ESC+:+x (press ESC key, type : followed by x and [enter] key).

Further readings

• Learn more about joe here : Introduction to the Joe Text Editor
• Learn more about vi here : Download mastering the VI editor pdf version.