Linux test Guide

Linux test Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to test on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including conditional testing, file checks, and script logic.

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Table of Contents

1. test Basics
2. File Tests
3. String Tests
4. Numeric Tests
5. Troubleshooting

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test Basics

File Exists

Basic usage:

# Test if file exists
test -f file.txt && echo "File exists"

# -f = file (regular file)

Using Brackets

Alternative syntax:

# Using [ ] brackets
[ -f file.txt ] && echo "File exists"

# [ ] is equivalent to test

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File Tests

File Types

Different checks:

# Regular file
test -f file.txt

# Directory
test -d directory/

# File exists (any type)
test -e file.txt

File Permissions

Permission checks:

# Readable
test -r file.txt

# Writable
test -w file.txt

# Executable
test -x file.txt

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String Tests

String Comparison

Compare strings:

# Strings equal
test "string1" = "string2"

# Strings not equal
test "string1" != "string2"

# String is empty
test -z "$string"

# String is not empty
test -n "$string"

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Numeric Tests

Number Comparison

Compare numbers:

# Equal
test 5 -eq 5

# Not equal
test 5 -ne 3

# Greater than
test 5 -gt 3

# Less than
test 3 -lt 5

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Troubleshooting

test Not Found

Check installation:

# test is built-in shell command
# Always available

# Check test
which test

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Summary

This guide covered test usage, conditional testing, and script logic for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• Bash Scripting Guide - Scripting basics
• Conditional Statements - If/else statements
• test Documentation: man test

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.