What is ping command in Linux?

The ping command in Linux is a network utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. It sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request messages to the destination host and waits for Echo Reply messages. The primary purpose of the ping command is to determine if a network device is reachable and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent to the destination.

By using the ping command, users can quickly diagnose network problems, check the status of a server, or test the connectivity between devices on a network.

Here’s a basic example of how to use the ping command in Linux:

This command will send a series of packets to 'example.com' and report the time taken for each packet to travel to the destination and back.