file

 

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 User Commands                                             file(1)
 
 
 


NAME
      file - determine file type
 


SYNOPSIS
      file [ -h ]  [ -m mfile ]  [ -f ffile ]  file ...
 
      file [ -h ]  [ -m mfile ]  -f ffile
 
      file -c  [ -m mfile ]
 


DESCRIPTION
      The file utility performs a series of  tests  on  each  file
      supplied  by  file  and,  optionally, on each file listed in
      ffile in an attempt to classify it. If the  file  is  not  a
      regular  file,  its file type is identified.  The file types
      directory, FIFO, block special, and  character  special  are
      identified  as  such.  If the file is a regular file and the
      file is zero-length, it is identified as an empty file.
 
      If file appears to be a text file, file examines  the  first
      512  bytes  and tries to determine its programming language.
      If file is an executable  a.out,  file  prints  the  version
      stamp,  provided it is greater than 0. If file is a symbolic
      link, by default the link is followed  and  file  tests  the
      file to which the symbolic link refers.
 
      By default, file will try to use the  localized  magic  file
      /usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES/magic,  if  it exists, to
      identify files that have a magic number. For example, in the
      Japanese     locale,     file     will     try     to    use
      /usr/lib/locale/ja/LC_MESSAGES/magic. If a  localized  magic
      file  does  not exist, file will utilize /etc/magic. A magic
      number is a numeric or string constant  that  indicates  the
      file  type. See magic(4) for an explanation of the format of
      /etc/magic.
 
      If file does not exist, cannot be read, or its  file  status
      could  not be determined, it is not considered an error that
      affects the exit status. The output will indicate  that  the
      file  was  processed,  but that its type could not be deter-
      mined.
 


OPTIONS
      The following options are supported:
 
      -c    Check the magic file for format errors. For reasons of
            efficiency,  this  validation  is normally not carried
            out.
 
      -h    Do not follow symbolic links.
 
      -f ffile
 
 
 
 SunOS 5.8            Last change: 1 Apr 1996                    1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 User Commands                                             file(1)
 
 
 
            ffile contains a list of the files to be examined.
 
      -m mfile
            Use mfile as  an  alternate  magic  file,  instead  of
            /etc/magic.
 


OPERANDS
      The following operands are supported:
 
      file  A path name of a file to be tested.
 
 USAGE
      See largefile(5) for the description of the behavior of file
      when encountering files greater than or equal to 2 Gbyte ( 2
     **31 bytes).
 
 EXAMPLES
      Example 1: Binary executable files
 
      Determine if an argument is a binary executable file:
 
      file "$1" | grep -Fq executable &&
                printf "%s is executable.\n" "$1"
 
 ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
      See environ(5) for descriptions of the following environment
      variables  that  affect  the  execution  of  file: LC_CTYPE,
      LC_MESSAGES, and NLSPATH.
 
 EXIT STATUS
      The following exit values are returned:
 
      0     Successful completion.
 
      >0    An error occurred.
 


FILES
      /etc/magic"
            file's magic number file
 


ATTRIBUTES
      See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
      butes:
 
      ____________________________________________________________
     |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
     |_____________________________|_____________________________|
     | Availability                | SUNWcsu                     |
     |_____________________________|_____________________________|
     | CSI                         | enabled                     |
     |_____________________________|_____________________________|
 
 
 
 
 SunOS 5.8            Last change: 1 Apr 1996                    2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 User Commands                                             file(1)
 
 
 


SEE ALSO
      ls(1), magic(4), attributes(5), environ(5), largefile(5)
 


DIAGNOSTICS
      If the -h option is specified and file is a  symbolic  link,
      file prints the error message:
 
      symbolic link to file
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 SunOS 5.8            Last change: 1 Apr 1996                    3
 
 
 

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