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  10 .TH FILE 1 "Sep 10, 2013"
  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
  18 
  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
  23 
  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
  28 
  29 .LP
  30 .nf
  31 \fB/usr/bin/file\fR \fB-i\fR [\fB-h\fR] \fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR
  32 .fi
  33 
  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
  38 
  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
  43 
  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
  48 
  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
  53 
  54 .LP
  55 .nf
  56 \fB/usr/xpg4/bin/file\fR \fB-i\fR [\fB-h\fR] \fB-f\fR \fIffile\fR
  57 .fi
  58 
  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
  63 
  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
 115 
 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
 125 
 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
 134 
 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
 146 
 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
 156 
 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
 171 
 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
 184 
 185 .RE
 186 
 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
 198 
 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
 217 
 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:
 229 
 230 .sp
 231 .in +2
 232 .nf
 233 file "$1" | grep \(miFq executable &&
 234           printf "%s is executable.\en" "$1"
 235 .fi
 236 .in -2
 237 .sp
 238 
 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
 257 
 258 .sp
 259 .ne 2
 260 .na
 261 \fB\fB>0\fR\fR
 262 .ad
 263 .RS 6n
 264 An error occurred.
 265 .RE
 266 
 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
 276 
 277 .SH ATTRIBUTES
 278 .sp
 279 .LP
 280 See \fBattributes\fR(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
 281 .sp
 282 
 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
 294 
 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)