cut

Extract specific columns or fields from text

cut extracts sections from each line. cut -d: -f1 uses : as delimiter and extracts field 1. Essential for parsing /etc/passwd, CSV exports, and log files.

Example

$ cat /etc/passwd | cut -d: -f1 | head -3
root
daemon
bin

Tip: Type it yourself in the terminal below - reading is not the same as doing.