How to insert a new line in Linux shell script?

Question

I want to insert a new line between multiple echo statements. I have tried echo "hello\n", but it is not working. It is printing \n. I want the desired output like this:

Create the snapshots

Snapshot created

[I think you want this. Very well explained](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8467424/echo-new-line-in-bash-prints-literal-n) — wolv3r1n3, Feb 05 '16 at 07:38

janos · Accepted Answer · 2016-10-28T11:15:57.373

242

The simplest way to insert a new line between echo statements is to insert an echo without arguments, for example:

echo Create the snapshots
echo
echo Snapshot created

That is, echo without any arguments will print a blank line.

Another alternative to use a single echo statement with the -e flag and embedded newline characters \n:

echo -e "Create the snapshots\n\nSnapshot created"

However, this is not portable, as the -e flag doesn't work consistently in all systems. A better way if you really want to do this is using printf:

printf "Create the snapshots\n\nSnapshot created\n"

This works more reliably in many systems, though it's not POSIX compliant. Notice that you must manually add a \n at the end, as printf doesn't append a newline automatically as echo does.

edited Oct 28 '16 at 11:15

answered Dec 12 '13 at 08:01

janos

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but what would be the equivalent for `echo "i want to be on one line" echo "i want to be on another"` by using one echo command, and just \n, so that when you have long sentences, you can wrap your text in bash(using maybe 3 or 4 bash lines atleast with only one echo command. I came here hoping to find that answer. e.g. elaborate your final answer to make it multiple lines with one echo command, what if i wanted to cut it off right at `Snapshot created` on my bash file and make that a new bash line, without adding echo command? I think use plus `+` somehow right? – blamb Sep 07 '16 at 18:10
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@blamb you can break a line using `\` at the end of a line. But that's a very different topic from what was asked here. – janos Oct 28 '16 at 11:10

score 84 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 12 '13 at 06:06

84

Use this echo statement

 echo -e "Hai\nHello\nTesting\n"

The output is

Hai
Hello
Testing

answered Dec 12 '13 at 06:06

Kalanidhi

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Thanks for the use of parameter for echo. One line command is good. – haxpor Jul 09 '15 at 08:52
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This should be the accepted answer. It does not require multiple repetition of `echo` to print in multiple lines. – NurShomik Oct 26 '18 at 19:01

score 27 · Answer 3 · edited Aug 11 '15 at 07:02

27

echo $'Create the snapshots\nSnapshot created\n'

edited Aug 11 '15 at 07:02

serenesat

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answered Aug 12 '14 at 16:08

Ohad Cohen

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Thanks @ohad-cohen. This seems to be the only solution that can be redirected to a file – icasimpan Sep 20 '17 at 20:53
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This is a cool technique. Any idea why this works? – NurShomik Oct 26 '18 at 19:04
I don't remember where I saw this first, but I believe it goes through bash vars mechanism – Ohad Cohen Oct 28 '18 at 10:28

score 17 · Answer 4 · edited Dec 14 '15 at 17:00

17

You could use the printf(1) command, e.g. like

printf "Hello times %d\nHere\n" $[2+3]

The printf command may accept arguments and needs a format control string similar (but not exactly the same) to the one for the standard C printf(3) function...

edited Dec 14 '15 at 17:00

default

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answered Dec 12 '13 at 06:28

Basile Starynkevitch

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is `printf` works for shell ? – user3086014 Dec 12 '13 at 06:30
The `printf` command and the `printf` library function are similar, but not the same. – Basile Starynkevitch Dec 12 '13 at 06:31

How to insert a new line in Linux shell script?

4 Answers4

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