This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of essential tools. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which TWO commands can be used to display the contents of a compressed log file without decompressing it first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
bzless /var/log/messages.bz2
bzless can read bzip2-compressed files.
zcat /var/log/messages.gz
zcat decompresses to stdout.
grep 'error' /var/log/messages.gz
Why wrong: grep alone cannot read compressed files; need zgrep.
vim /var/log/messages.gz
Why wrong: vim opens but edits, not just display.
less /var/log/messages.gz
Why wrong: less does not handle compressed files without a wrapper.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
bzless /var/log/messages.bz2
Option A is correct because `bzless` is a utility specifically designed to view bzip2-compressed files without decompressing them first. It decompresses the file on the fly and pipes the output to a pager, allowing you to scroll through the content. Similarly, option B is correct because `zcat` reads a gzip-compressed file and writes the decompressed data to standard output, effectively displaying the contents without permanently decompressing the file.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
bzless /var/log/messages.bz2
Why this is correct
bzless can read bzip2-compressed files.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
zcat /var/log/messages.gz
Why this is correct
zcat decompresses to stdout.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
grep 'error' /var/log/messages.gz
Why it's wrong here
grep alone cannot read compressed files; need zgrep.
vim /var/log/messages.gz
Why it's wrong here
vim opens but edits, not just display.
less /var/log/messages.gz
Why it's wrong here
less does not handle compressed files without a wrapper.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume `less` or `grep` can handle compressed files natively, but they cannot; the correct approach is to use dedicated tools like `zcat`, `zless`, `bzcat`, or `bzless` that perform on-the-fly decompression.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, `bzless` and `zcat` use the bzip2 and gzip libraries respectively to decompress data in memory, streaming the output to stdout. This is efficient for viewing logs because it avoids writing a temporary decompressed file to disk, which is especially important when dealing with large log files on systems with limited storage. A subtle behavior: `zcat` is equivalent to `gunzip -c`, and `bzless` is essentially `bzip2 -dc | less`, so both commands rely on the `-c` (stdout) flag of the decompression utilities.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the EX200 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Essential Tools — This question tests Essential Tools — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: bzless /var/log/messages.bz2 — Option A is correct because `bzless` is a utility specifically designed to view bzip2-compressed files without decompressing them first. It decompresses the file on the fly and pipes the output to a pager, allowing you to scroll through the content. Similarly, option B is correct because `zcat` reads a gzip-compressed file and writes the decompressed data to standard output, effectively displaying the contents without permanently decompressing the file.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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