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10 .TH FILE 1 "May 15, 2006"
11 .SH NAME
12 file \- determine file type
13 .SH SYNOPSIS
14 .LP
15 .nf
16 \fB/usr/bin/file\fR [\fB-dh\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-dh\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-h\fR] [\fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR] \fIfile\fR...
27 .fi
29 .LP
30 .nf
31 \fB/usr/bin/file\fR \fB-i\fR [\fB-h\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-dh\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-dh\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-h\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-h\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-c\fR\fR
110 .ad
111 .RS 12n
112 Checks the magic file for format errors. For reasons of efficiency, this
113 validation is normally not carried out.
114 .RE
116 .sp
117 .ne 2
118 .na
119 \fB\fB-d\fR\fR
120 .ad
121 .RS 12n
122 Applies any position-sensitive and context-sensitive default system tests to
123 the file.
124 .RE
126 .sp
127 .ne 2
128 .na
129 \fB\fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR\fR
130 .ad
131 .RS 12n
132 \fIffile\fR contains a list of the files to be examined.
133 .RE
135 .sp
136 .ne 2
137 .na
138 \fB\fB-h\fR\fR
139 .ad
140 .RS 12n
141 When a symbolic link is encountered, this option identifies the file as a
142 symbolic link. If \fB-h\fR is not specified and \fIfile\fR is a symbolic link
143 that refers to a non-existent file, the \fBfile\fR utility identifies the file
144 as a symbolic link, as if \fB-h\fR had been specified.
145 .RE
147 .sp
148 .ne 2
149 .na
150 \fB\fB-i\fR\fR
151 .ad
152 .RS 12n
153 If a file is a regular file, this option does not attempt to classify the type
154 of file further, but identifies the file as a "regular file".
155 .RE
157 .sp
158 .ne 2
159 .na
160 \fB\fB-m\fR \fImfile\fR\fR
161 .ad
162 .RS 12n
163 .sp
164 .ne 2
165 .na
166 \fB\fB/usr/bin/file\fR\fR
167 .ad
168 .RS 22n
169 Uses \fImfile\fR as an alternate magic file, instead of \fB/etc/magic\fR.
170 .RE
172 .sp
173 .ne 2
174 .na
175 \fB\fB/usr/xpg4/bin/file\fR\fR
176 .ad
177 .RS 22n
178 Specifies the name of a file containing position-sensitive tests that are
179 applied to a file in order to classify it (see \fBmagic\fR(4)). If the \fB-m\fR
180 option is specified without specifying the \fB-d\fR option or the \fB-M\fR
181 option, position-sensitive default system tests are applied after the
182 position-sensitive tests specified by the \fB-m\fR option.
183 .RE
185 .RE
187 .sp
188 .ne 2
189 .na
190 \fB\fB-M\fR \fIMfile\fR\fR
191 .ad
192 .RS 12n
193 Specifies the name of a file containing position-sensitive tests that are
194 applied to a file in order to classify it (see \fBmagic\fR(4)). No
195 position-sensitive default system tests nor context-sensitive default system
196 tests are applied unless the \fB-d\fR option is also specified.
197 .RE
199 .sp
200 .LP
201 If the \fB-M\fR option is specified with the \fB-d\fR option, the \fB-m\fR
202 option, or both, or if the \fB-m\fR option is specified with the \fB-d\fR
203 option, the concatenation of the position-sensitive tests specified by these
204 options is applied in the order specified by the appearance of these options.
205 .SH OPERANDS
206 .sp
207 .LP
208 The following operands are supported:
209 .sp
210 .ne 2
211 .na
212 \fB\fIfile\fR\fR
213 .ad
214 .RS 8n
215 A path name of a file to be tested.
216 .RE
218 .SH USAGE
219 .sp
220 .LP
221 See \fBlargefile\fR(5) for the description of the behavior of \fBfile\fR when
222 encountering files greater than or equal to 2 Gbyte ( 2^31 bytes).
223 .SH EXAMPLES
224 .LP
225 \fBExample 1 \fRDetermining if an Argument is a Binary Executable Files
226 .sp
227 .LP
228 The following example determine if an argument is a binary executable file:
230 .sp
231 .in +2
232 .nf
233 file "$1" | grep \(miFq executable &&
234 printf "%s is executable.\n" "$1"
235 .fi
236 .in -2
237 .sp
239 .SH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
240 .sp
241 .LP
242 See \fBenviron\fR(5) for descriptions of the following environment variables
243 that affect the execution of \fBfile\fR: \fBLANG\fR, \fBLC_ALL\fR,
244 \fBLC_CTYPE\fR, \fBLC_MESSAGES\fR, and \fBNLSPATH\fR.
245 .SH EXIT STATUS
246 .sp
247 .LP
248 The following exit values are returned:
249 .sp
250 .ne 2
251 .na
252 \fB\fB0\fR\fR
253 .ad
254 .RS 6n
255 Successful completion.
256 .RE
258 .sp
259 .ne 2
260 .na
261 \fB\fB>0\fR\fR
262 .ad
263 .RS 6n
264 An error occurred.
265 .RE
267 .SH FILES
268 .sp
269 .ne 2
270 .na
271 \fB\fB/etc/magic\fR\fR
272 .ad
273 .RS 14n
274 \fBfile\fR's magic number file
275 .RE
277 .SH ATTRIBUTES
278 .sp
279 .LP
280 See \fBattributes\fR(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
281 .sp
283 .sp
284 .TS
285 box;
286 c | c
287 l | l .
288 ATTRIBUTE TYPE ATTRIBUTE VALUE
289 _
290 CSI Enabled
291 _
292 Interface Stability Standard
293 .TE
295 .SH SEE ALSO
296 .sp
297 .LP
298 \fBcrle\fR(1), \fBelfdump\fR(1), \fBls\fR(1), \fBmagic\fR(4),
299 \fBattributes\fR(5), \fBenviron\fR(5), \fBlargefile\fR(5), \fBstandards\fR(5)