cal command in Linux with Examples
The 'cal' command in Linux is a versatile tool that displays calendars
directly in the terminal. If a user wants a quick view of the calendar in the
Linux terminal, 'cal' is the command for you. Here’s a look at the usage and
features of 'cal' command in Linux.
What is the 'cal' command?
cal command is a calendar command in Linux which is used to see the
calendar of a specific month or a whole year. By default, entering cal in the
terminal shows the calendar of the current month, with today's date
highlighted. This provides a quick overview of the month at hand.
Syntax:
cal [ [ month ] year]
The rectangular bracket means it is optional, so if used without an option, it
will display a calendar of the current month and year.
Displaying Different Time Frames
'cal': Shows current month calendar on the terminal with the current date
highlighted.
'cal -y': Shows the calendar of the complete current year with the current
date highlighted.
'cal [month] [year]': Shows calendar of selected month and year. For
example, 'cal 08 2000' displays the calendar for August 2000.
'cal [year]': Shows the whole calendar of the year. For example, 'cal 2018'
displays the calendar for the year 2018.
'cal -3': Shows calendar of previous, current and next month
'cal -j': Shows the calendar of the current month in the Julian
calendar format not in the default Gregorian calendar format. In Julian
calendar format, the date does not reset to 1 after every month's end i.e.
after 31st Jan, Feb will start as 32nd Feb, not as 1st Feb. But in the
Gregorian calendar format, the date is reset to 1 after every month's end i.e
after 31st Jan, Feb will start as of 1st Feb.
