`head -n 99999` seems like a weird way to do it anyway. Wouldn't it make more se... | Hacker News

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xatax on Sept 6, 2012 | parent | context | favorite | on: Unix Commands I Abuse Every Day

`head -n 99999` seems like a weird way to do it anyway. Wouldn't it make more sense to do `tail -n +1`? The output is the same from both commands, but `tail` doesn't require you to assume arbitrary limits.

Honest question, btw. I'm relatively inexperienced with Linux, and I certainly haven't used BSD. I'd appreciate any critiques you may have to offer.

Nick_C on Sept 6, 2012 [–]

> Wouldn't it make more sense to do `tail -n +1`

Yes (or perhaps tail -n +0 as that is idiomatic, which makes it clear to anyone what you are intending).

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