This command is used to determine the “type” of a file present under system. When run the command with the file name, it checks the file’s contents and gives details about its type and other details.
- It comes from “file-x.x” package.
- Configuration Files are:
/usr/share/misc/magic.mgc Default compiled list of magic.
/usr/share/misc/magic Directory containing default magic files.
Examples:
1. To get the file type
| $ file test.txt |
2. To get the file type in brief
| $ file -b test.txt $ file –brief test.txt |
3. To compile a C code file
| $ file -C test.txt $ file –compile text.txt |
4. To Cause a checking printout of the parsed form of the magic file
| $ file -c test.txt $ file –checking-printout test.txt |
5. To Exclude the test named in testname
| $ file -e text file.txt $ file –exclude text file.txt |
6. To Use the specified string as the separator between the filename and the file result returned
| $ file -F ” ” text.txt $ file –separator ” ” text.txt |
7. To Read the names of the files to be examined from namefile
| $ file -f text.txt $ file –files-from text.txt |
8. To cause symlinks not to be followed
| $ file -h file.txt $ file –no-dereference file.txt |
9. To causes the file command to output mime type strings
| $ file -i file.txt $ file -mime file.txt |
10. Like -i, but print only the specified element
| $ file –mime-type file.txt $ file –mime-encoding file.txt |
11. To Dont stop at the first match, keep going
| $ file -k file.txt $ file –keep-going file.txt |
12. To option causes symlinks to be followed
| $ file -L file.txt $ file –dereference file.txt |
13. To specify an alternate list of files and directories containing magic.
| $ file -m magicfile file.txt $ file –magic-file magicfile file.txt |
14. To Don’t pad filenames so that they align in the output.
| $ file -N file.txt $ file –no-pad file.txt |
15. To Force stdout to be flushed after checking each file.
| $ file -n file.txt $ file –no-buffer file.txt |
16. To preserve the access time of files
| $ file -p file.txt $ file –preserve-date file.txt |
17. Don’t translate unprintable characters to ooo
| $ file -r file.txt $ file –raw file.txt |
18. To reading special files
| $ file -s file.txt $ file –special-files file.txt |
19. To Print the version of the program and exit.
| $ file -v |
20. To Try to look inside compressed files.
| $ file -z file.gz $ file –uncompress file.gz |
21. To Output a null chaacter 0 after the end of the filename
| $ file -0 file.txt $ file –print0 file.txt |
22. To get the help for file
| $ file –help |
Related Commands: magic, strings, od, hexdump, file
