Back to Commands

comm

file managementLinux/Unix
The comm command is one of the most frequently used commands in Linux/Unix-like operating systems. comm Sample fallback description for comm
See ExamplesView Syntax

Quick Reference

Command Name:

comm

Category:

file management

Platform:

Linux/Unix

Basic Usage:

comm [options] [arguments]

Common Use Cases

  • 1

    Set operations

    Perform set operations on sorted files

  • 2

    Data analysis

    Analyze common and unique lines between files

  • 3

    File merging

    Identify common lines for file merging operations

  • 4

    Data deduplication

    Find duplicate lines across multiple files

Syntax

comm [OPTION]... [FILE]...

Options

Option Description
-l Use a long listing format
-a Show hidden entries starting with .
-h Human-readable sizes
-R List subdirectories recursively

Examples

How to Use These Examples

The examples below show common ways to use the comm command. Try them in your terminal to see the results. You can copy any example by clicking on the code block.

Basic Examples:

ls
List files in the current directory.
ls -l
List files in long format with details.
ls -a
List all files including hidden ones.

Advanced Examples:

ls -lah Detailed list with human-readable sizes. ls -R List directories recursively.

Try It Yourself

Practice makes perfect! The best way to learn is by trying these examples on your own system with real files.

Understanding Syntax

Pay attention to the syntax coloring: commands, options, and file paths are highlighted differently.

Notes

These are sample notes for the comm command.

Common Use Cases

Set operations

Perform set operations on sorted files

Data analysis

Analyze common and unique lines between files

File merging

Identify common lines for file merging operations

Data deduplication

Find duplicate lines across multiple files

Text processing

Process and compare text files systematically

Related Commands

These commands are frequently used alongside comm or serve similar purposes:

diff
cmp
uniq
sort
join
sdiff
vimdiff
colordiff
Explore All Commands

Use Cases

1

Set operations

Perform set operations on sorted files

2

Data analysis

Analyze common and unique lines between files

3

File merging

Identify common lines for file merging operations

4

Data deduplication

Find duplicate lines across multiple files

5

Text processing

Process and compare text files systematically

Learn By Doing

The best way to learn Linux commands is by practicing. Try out these examples in your terminal to build muscle memory and understand how the comm command works in different scenarios.

See ExamplesTry Lab Exercises
$ comm
View All Commands