SED- Stream Editor

1. How to Print all the lines in a file using sed

# sed 'p' test.txt

To print the Second line in a file

# sed -n '2 p' test.txt

To print from line 1 to line 4

# sed -n '2 p' test.txt

To Print from line 2 through the last line

# sed -n '2,$ p' test.txt

To Print lines matching the pattern “vasanth”

# sed -n '/vasanth/ p' test.txt

To Print lines starting from the 1st match of "Vasanth" until the 4th

# sed -n '/vasanth/,4 p' test.txt

To Print lines starting from the 1st match of "vasanth" until the last line

# sed -n '/vasanth/,$ p' test.txt

To Print lines starting from the line matching "Vasanth" until the line matching "Hemanth":

# sed -n '/Vasanth/,/Hemanth/ p' test.txt

To Print the line matching "Jason" and 2 lines immediately after that

# sed -n '/Vasanth/,+2 p' test.txt

DELETE LINES
To delete all the lines in a file

# sed 'd' test.txt

To delete only the two lines

# sed '2 d' test.txt

To Delete from line 1 through 4

# sed '1,4 d' test.txt

To Delete from line 2 through the last line

# sed '2,$ d' employee.txt

To delete only odd number of lines

# sed '1~2 d' test.txt

To delete lines matching the pattern "Sysadmin"

# sed '/Sysadmin/ d' test.txt

To delete lines starting from the 1st match of "Vasanth" until the 4th line

# sed '/Vasanth/,4 d' test.txt

To delete lines starting from the 1st match of "Vasanth" until the 4th line

# sed '/Vasanth/,4 d' test.txt

To delete lines starting from the 1st match of "Vasanth" until the last line

# sed '/Vasanth/,$ d' test.txt

To delete lines starting from the line matching "Vasanth" until the line matching "Hemanth":

# sed '/Vasanth/,/Hemanth/ d' test.txt

To delete lines starting from the line matching "Vasanth" and 2 lines immediately after that:

# sed '/Vasanth/,+2 d' test.txt

Useful Delete Examples
To delete all the empty lines from a file:

# sed '/^$/ d' test.txt

To delete all comment lines (assuming the comment starts with

1. ):

# sed '/^#/ d' test.txt

To write the content of text.txt file to file test.txt (and display on screen):

# sed 'w test.txt' text.txt

To write the content of employee.txt file to output.txt file but not to screen:

# sed -n 'w output.txt' /etc/passwd

To write only the 2nd line:

# sed -n '2 w output.txt' /etc/passwd

Write lines 1 through 4:

# sed -n '1,4 w output.txt' /etc/passwd

To write from line 2 through the last line:

# sed -n '2,$ w output.txt' /etc/passwd

To write only odd numbered lines:

# sed -n '1~2 w output.txt' /etc/passwd

To Write lines matching the pattern "Vasanth":

# sed -n '/Vasanth/ w output.txt' /etc/passwd

To write lines starting from the 1st match of "root" until the 4th line:

# sed -n '/root/,4 w output.txt' /etc/passwd

To write lines starting from the 1st match of "Raj" until the last line:

# sed -n '/vasanth/,$ w output.txt' /etc/passwd 

To write lines starting from the line matching "vasanth" until the line matching "hemanth":

# sed -n '/vasanth/,/hemanth/ w output.txt' /etc/passwd

To write the line matching "vasanth" and the next 2 lines immediately after that:

# sed -n '/vasanth/,+2 w output.txt' /etc/passwd