What command would you use to view the contents of a file?

The command to use for viewing the contents of a file in a Linux environment is "cat." This command stands for concatenate, and it allows users to display the contents of one or more files directly in the terminal. When you use "cat" followed by the filename, it outputs the entire content of the specified file to the standard output (usually the terminal), making it a simple yet powerful tool for quickly inspecting file contents.

While there are other commands for viewing files, "cat" is one of the most frequently used for this purpose due to its straightforward nature. Using "cat" is particularly useful for small to medium-sized files where the entire content can be viewed at once. Other commands like "less" or "more" are more suitable for larger files, as they allow for pagination and navigation through the file's contents. However, "cat" remains the most basic and widely recognized command for simply outputting file content.