What will be the output of the following commands if file1.txt exists and file2.txt also exists?

medium📝 Command Output Q13 of 15

Linux CLI - File and Directory Operations

What will be the output of the following commands if file1.txt exists and file2.txt also exists?

cp file1.txt file2.txt
cat file2.txt

ABoth files will be merged and displayed

BError: file2.txt already exists, copy fails

Cfile2.txt remains unchanged, contents of file1.txt not copied

DContents of file1.txt will overwrite file2.txt, then displayed

Step-by-Step Solution

Solution:

Step 1: Understand default behavior of cp
By default, cp overwrites the destination file if it exists without warning.
Step 2: Analyze the commands
cp file1.txt file2.txt copies file1.txt over file2.txt, replacing its contents. Then cat file2.txt shows the new contents (from file1.txt).
Final Answer:
Contents of file1.txt will overwrite file2.txt, then displayed -> Option D
Quick Check:
cp overwrites files by default [OK]

Quick Trick: cp overwrites existing files unless told otherwise [OK]

Common Mistakes:

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