Windows PowerShell Out-File equivalent in Linux
Saves standard output to a file, either replacing or appending to it.
PowerShell Out-File
command > output.txt
command > output.txt
command > output.txt
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Out-File" is used to write command output to a file. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "command > output.txt". Saves standard output to a file, either replacing or appending to it. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Text Processing.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Out-File maps to command > output.txt for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Write command output to a file
Saves standard output to a file, either replacing or appending to it.
uname -a > system.txt
Replace a file with output
date >> system.txt
Append output
ip addr | tee network.txt
Display and save output
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
uname -a > system.txt
date >> system.txt
ip addr | tee network.txt
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
uname -a > system.txt # write output to a file
date >> system.txt # append output
ip addr | tee network.txt # display and save at the same timeReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
uname -a > system.txt | Replace a file with output |
date >> system.txt | Append output |
ip addr | tee network.txt | Display and save output |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "command > output.txt" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | command > output.txt |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | command > output.txt |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | command > output.txt |
Same command on this distribution. |
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