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LPIC-1 Shells, Scripting and Data Management Practice Question

Which TWO of the following commands can be used to replace text patterns in a file and output the result?

⚠ Common exam trap

Test-takers frequently confuse grep's pattern-matching capability with text replacement, assuming it can modify content, when in fact grep only filters lines and does not alter or output transformed text.

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

awk

awk is a powerful text-processing tool that can perform pattern matching and replacement using its sub() and gsub() functions, making it suitable for replacing text patterns in a file and outputting the result. It operates on a per-record (line) basis and supports regular expressions, allowing complex substitutions directly within the script.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✓
awk
Why this is correct
awk can use gsub() or sub() for replacement.
✗
grep
Why it's wrong here
grep only searches, does not replace.
✓
sed
Why this is correct
sed can perform search and replace with s command.
✗
tr
Why it's wrong here
tr translates characters, not patterns.
✗
cut
Why it's wrong here
cut extracts columns, does not replace.

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LPIC-1 Shells, Scripting and Data Management Practice Question

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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