What does the grep -r “error” /var/log command do in Linux? Learn how this command recursively searches all files in /var/log for lines containing “error,” aiding in troubleshooting and log analysis—essential for CompTIA Linux+ (Plus) XK0-005 exam success.
Table of Contents
Question
What does the grep -r “error” /var/log command do?
A. Lists all files in /var/log
B. Searches for the word “error” recursively in /var/log
C. Removes lines containing “error” from logs
D. Copies files with “error” to /var/log
E. Counts the number of files in /var/log
Answer
B. Searches for the word “error” recursively in /var/log
Explanation
grep -r performs a recursive search through all files in the specified directory (/var/log) for the string “error,” aiding in log file troubleshooting.
The command grep -r “error” /var/log searches for the word “error” recursively in all files and subdirectories under /var/log.
The grep command is used to search for patterns within files. The -r (or –recursive) option tells grep to search not just in the specified directory, but also in all its subdirectories and their files.
“error” is the search pattern. grep will look for any line containing this word, case-sensitive by default, in every file it encounters during the recursive search.
/var/log is the directory commonly used for system and application log files on Linux systems.
The output will display the filename and the matching line for every occurrence of “error” found anywhere under /var/log, making it a powerful tool for troubleshooting and auditing logs.
This command is widely used by administrators to quickly locate error messages across all system logs and their subdirectories.
CompTIA Linux+ (Plus) XK0-005 certification exam practice question and answer (Q&A) dump with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the CompTIA Linux+ (Plus) XK0-005 exam and earn CompTIA Linux+ (Plus) XK0-005 certification.