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10 .TH FILE 1 "Apr 11, 2014"
11 .SH NAME
12 file \- determine file type
13 .SH SYNOPSIS
14 .LP
15 .nf
16 \fB/usr/bin/file\fR [\fB-bdh\fR] [\fB-m\fR \fImfile\fR] [\fB-M\fR \fIMfile\fR] [\fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR] \fIfile\fR...
17 .fi
19 .LP
20 .nf
21 \fB/usr/bin/file\fR [\fB-bdh\fR] [\fB-m\fR \fImfile\fR] [\fB-M\fR \fIMfile\fR] \fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR
22 .fi
24 .LP
25 .nf
26 \fB/usr/bin/file\fR \fB-i\fR [\fB-bh\fR] [\fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR] \fIfile\fR...
27 .fi
29 .LP
30 .nf
31 \fB/usr/bin/file\fR \fB-i\fR [\fB-bh\fR] \fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR
32 .fi
34 .LP
35 .nf
36 \fB/usr/bin/file\fR \fB-c\fR [\fB-d\fR] [\fB-m\fR \fImfile\fR] [\fB-M\fR \fIMfile\fR]
37 .fi
39 .LP
40 .nf
41 \fB/usr/xpg4/bin/file\fR [\fB-bdh\fR] [\fB-m\fR \fImfile\fR] [\fB-M\fR \fIMfile\fR] [\fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR] \fIfile\fR...
42 .fi
44 .LP
45 .nf
46 \fB/usr/xpg4/bin/file\fR [\fB-bdh\fR] [\fB-m\fR \fImfile\fR] [\fB-M\fR \fIMfile\fR] \fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR
47 .fi
49 .LP
50 .nf
51 \fB/usr/xpg4/bin/file\fR \fB-i\fR [\fB-bh\fR] [\fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR] \fIfile\fR...
52 .fi
54 .LP
55 .nf
56 \fB/usr/xpg4/bin/file\fR \fB-i\fR [\fB-bh\fR] \fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR
57 .fi
59 .LP
60 .nf
61 \fB/usr/xpg4/bin/file\fR \fB-c\fR [\fB-d\fR] [\fB-m\fR \fImfile\fR] [\fB-M\fR \fIMfile\fR]
62 .fi
64 .SH DESCRIPTION
65 .sp
66 .LP
67 The \fBfile\fR utility performs a series of tests on each file supplied by
68 \fIfile\fR and, optionally, on each file listed in \fIffile\fR in an attempt to
69 classify it. If the file is not a regular file, its file type is identified.
70 The file types directory, \fBFIFO\fR, block special, and character special are
71 identified as such. If the file is a regular file and the file is zero-length,
72 it is identified as an empty file.
73 .sp
74 .LP
75 If \fIfile\fR appears to be a text file, \fBfile\fR examines the first 512
76 bytes and tries to determine its programming language. If \fIfile\fR is a
77 symbolic link, by default the link is followed and \fBfile\fR tests the file to
78 which the symbolic link refers.
79 .sp
80 .LP
81 If \fIfile\fR is a relocatable object, executable, or shared object, \fBfile\fR
82 prints out information about the file's execution requirements. This
83 information includes the machine class, byte-ordering, static/dynamic linkage,
84 and any software or hardware capability requirements. If \fIfile\fR is a
85 runtime linking configuration file, \fBfile\fR prints information about the
86 target platform, including the machine class and byte-ordering.
87 .sp
88 .LP
89 By default, \fBfile\fR will try to use the localized magic file
90 \fB/usr/lib/locale/\fIlocale\fR/LC_MESSAGES/magic\fR, if it exists, to identify
91 files that have a magic number. For example, in the Japanese locale, \fBfile\fR
92 will try to use \fB/usr/lib/locale/ja/LC_MESSAGES/magic\fR. If a localized
93 magic file does not exist, \fBfile\fR will utilize \fB/etc/magic\fR. A magic
94 number is a numeric or string constant that indicates the file type. See
95 \fBmagic\fR(4) for an explanation of the format of \fB/etc/magic\fR.
96 .sp
97 .LP
98 If \fIfile\fR does not exist, cannot be read, or its file status could not be
99 determined, it is not considered an error that affects the exit status. The
100 output will indicate that the file was processed, but that its type could not
101 be determined.
102 .SH OPTIONS
103 .sp
104 .LP
105 The following options are supported:
106 .sp
107 .ne 2
108 .na
109 \fB\fB-b\fR\fR
110 .ad
111 .RS 12n
112 Be brief, do not print leading filename.
113 .RE
115 .sp
116 .ne 2
117 .na
118 \fB\fB-c\fR\fR
119 .ad
120 .RS 12n
121 Checks the magic file for format errors. For reasons of efficiency, this
122 validation is normally not carried out.
123 .RE
125 .sp
126 .ne 2
127 .na
128 \fB\fB-d\fR\fR
129 .ad
130 .RS 12n
131 Applies any position-sensitive and context-sensitive default system tests to
132 the file.
133 .RE
135 .sp
136 .ne 2
137 .na
138 \fB\fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR\fR
139 .ad
140 .RS 12n
141 \fIffile\fR contains a list of the files to be examined.
142 .RE
144 .sp
145 .ne 2
146 .na
147 \fB\fB-h\fR\fR
148 .ad
149 .RS 12n
150 When a symbolic link is encountered, this option identifies the file as a
151 symbolic link. If \fB-h\fR is not specified and \fIfile\fR is a symbolic link
152 that refers to a non-existent file, the \fBfile\fR utility identifies the file
153 as a symbolic link, as if \fB-h\fR had been specified.
154 .RE
156 .sp
157 .ne 2
158 .na
159 \fB\fB-i\fR\fR
160 .ad
161 .RS 12n
162 If a file is a regular file, this option does not attempt to classify the type
163 of file further, but identifies the file as a "regular file".
164 .RE
166 .sp
167 .ne 2
168 .na
169 \fB\fB-m\fR \fImfile\fR\fR
170 .ad
171 .RS 12n
172 .sp
173 .ne 2
174 .na
175 \fB\fB/usr/bin/file\fR\fR
176 .ad
177 .RS 22n
178 Uses \fImfile\fR as an alternate magic file, instead of \fB/etc/magic\fR.
179 .RE
181 .sp
182 .ne 2
183 .na
184 \fB\fB/usr/xpg4/bin/file\fR\fR
185 .ad
186 .RS 22n
187 Specifies the name of a file containing position-sensitive tests that are
188 applied to a file in order to classify it (see \fBmagic\fR(4)). If the \fB-m\fR
189 option is specified without specifying the \fB-d\fR option or the \fB-M\fR
190 option, position-sensitive default system tests are applied after the
191 position-sensitive tests specified by the \fB-m\fR option.
192 .RE
194 .RE
196 .sp
197 .ne 2
198 .na
199 \fB\fB-M\fR \fIMfile\fR\fR
200 .ad
201 .RS 12n
202 Specifies the name of a file containing position-sensitive tests that are
203 applied to a file in order to classify it (see \fBmagic\fR(4)). No
204 position-sensitive default system tests nor context-sensitive default system
205 tests are applied unless the \fB-d\fR option is also specified.
206 .RE
208 .sp
209 .LP
210 If the \fB-M\fR option is specified with the \fB-d\fR option, the \fB-m\fR
211 option, or both, or if the \fB-m\fR option is specified with the \fB-d\fR
212 option, the concatenation of the position-sensitive tests specified by these
213 options is applied in the order specified by the appearance of these options.
214 .SH OPERANDS
215 .sp
216 .LP
217 The following operands are supported:
218 .sp
219 .ne 2
220 .na
221 \fB\fIfile\fR\fR
222 .ad
223 .RS 8n
224 A path name of a file to be tested.
225 .RE
227 .SH USAGE
228 .sp
229 .LP
230 See \fBlargefile\fR(5) for the description of the behavior of \fBfile\fR when
231 encountering files greater than or equal to 2 Gbyte ( 2^31 bytes).
232 .SH EXAMPLES
233 .LP
234 \fBExample 1 \fRDetermining if an Argument is a Binary Executable Files
235 .sp
236 .LP
237 The following example determine if an argument is a binary executable file:
239 .sp
240 .in +2
241 .nf
242 file "$1" | grep \(miFq executable &&
243 printf "%s is executable.\en" "$1"
244 .fi
245 .in -2
246 .sp
248 .SH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
249 .sp
250 .LP
251 See \fBenviron\fR(5) for descriptions of the following environment variables
252 that affect the execution of \fBfile\fR: \fBLANG\fR, \fBLC_ALL\fR,
253 \fBLC_CTYPE\fR, \fBLC_MESSAGES\fR, and \fBNLSPATH\fR.
254 .SH EXIT STATUS
255 .sp
256 .LP
257 The following exit values are returned:
258 .sp
259 .ne 2
260 .na
261 \fB\fB0\fR\fR
262 .ad
263 .RS 6n
264 Successful completion.
265 .RE
267 .sp
268 .ne 2
269 .na
270 \fB\fB>0\fR\fR
271 .ad
272 .RS 6n
273 An error occurred.
274 .RE
276 .SH FILES
277 .sp
278 .ne 2
279 .na
280 \fB\fB/etc/magic\fR\fR
281 .ad
282 .RS 14n
283 \fBfile\fR's magic number file
284 .RE
286 .SH ATTRIBUTES
287 .sp
288 .LP
289 See \fBattributes\fR(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
290 .sp
292 .sp
293 .TS
294 box;
295 c | c
296 l | l .
297 ATTRIBUTE TYPE ATTRIBUTE VALUE
298 _
299 CSI Enabled
300 _
301 Interface Stability Standard
302 .TE
304 .SH SEE ALSO
305 .sp
306 .LP
307 \fBcrle\fR(1), \fBelfdump\fR(1), \fBls\fR(1), \fBmagic\fR(4),
308 \fBattributes\fR(5), \fBenviron\fR(5), \fBlargefile\fR(5), \fBstandards\fR(5)