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32 .\" @(#)ls.1 8.7 (Berkeley) 7/29/94
40 .Nd list directory contents
43 .Op Fl ABCFGHILPRSTUWZabcdfghiklmnopqrstuwxy1,
44 .Op Fl -color Ns = Ns Ar when
48 For each operand that names a
53 displays its name as well as any requested,
54 associated information.
55 For each operand that names a
59 displays the names of files contained
60 within that directory, as well as any requested, associated
63 If no operands are given, the contents of the current
64 directory are displayed.
65 If more than one operand is given,
66 non-directory operands are displayed first; directory
67 and non-directory operands are sorted separately and in
68 lexicographical order.
70 The following options are available:
71 .Bl -tag -width indent
73 Include directory entries whose names begin with a
80 Automatically set for the super-user unless
84 Force printing of non-printable characters (as defined by
86 and current locale settings) in file names as
90 is the numeric value of the character in octal.
91 This option is not defined in
94 Force multi-column output; this is the default when output is to a terminal.
96 When printing in the long
100 to format the date and time output.
105 Depending on the choice of format string, this may result in a
106 different number of columns in the output.
107 This option overrides the
110 This option is not defined in
115 immediately after each pathname that is a directory,
118 after each that is executable,
121 after each symbolic link,
133 Enable colorized output.
134 This option is equivalent to defining
140 This functionality can be compiled out by removing the definition of
142 This option is not defined in
145 Symbolic links on the command line are followed.
146 This option is assumed if
151 options are specified.
155 from being automatically set for the super-user.
156 This option is not defined in
159 If argument is a symbolic link, list the file or directory the link references
160 rather than the link itself.
161 This option cancels the
165 If argument is a symbolic link, list the link itself rather than the
166 object the link references.
167 This option cancels the
173 Recursively list subdirectories encountered.
175 Sort by size (largest file first) before sorting the operands in
176 lexicographical order.
178 When printing in the long
180 format, display complete time information for the file, including
181 month, day, hour, minute, second, and year.
184 option gives even more control over the output format.
185 This option is not defined in
188 Use time when file was created for sorting or printing.
189 This option is not defined in
192 Display whiteouts when scanning directories.
193 This option is not defined in
196 Display each file's MAC label; see
198 This option is not defined in
201 Include directory entries whose names begin with a
209 escape codes whenever possible.
210 This option is not defined in
213 Use time when file status was last changed for sorting or printing.
214 .It Fl -color Ns = Ns Ar when
215 Output colored escape sequences based on
217 which may be set to either
229 is unset or set to an invalid terminal, then
231 will fall back to explicit
233 escape sequences without the help of
238 is specified without an argument.
243 output escape sequences based on
247 is a tty and either the
249 flag is specified or the
251 environment variable is set and not empty.
254 will disable color regardless of environment variables.
256 Directories are listed as plain files (not searched recursively).
258 Output is not sorted.
261 It also negates the effect of the
269 this option has no effect on the
277 This option has no effect.
278 It is only available for compatibility with
280 where it was used to display the group name in the long
283 This option is incompatible with
288 option, use unit suffixes: Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte
289 and Petabyte in order to reduce the number of digits to four or fewer
290 using base 2 for sizes.
291 This option is not defined in
294 For each file, print the file's file serial number (inode number).
296 This has the same effect as setting environment variable
298 to 1024, except that it also nullifies any
302 (The lowercase letter
304 List files in the long format, as described in the
308 Stream output format; list files across the page, separated by commas.
310 Display user and group IDs numerically rather than converting to a user
311 or group name in a long
315 Include the file flags in a long
318 This option is incompatible with
322 for a list of file flags and their meanings.
326 after each filename if that file is a directory.
328 Force printing of non-graphic characters in file names as
331 this is the default when output is to a terminal.
333 Reverse the order of the sort.
335 Display the number of blocks used in the file system by each file.
336 Block sizes and directory totals are handled as described in
338 subsection below, except (if the long format is not also requested)
339 the directory totals are not output when the output is in a
340 single column, even if multi-column output is requested.
342 Sort by descending time modified (most recently modified first).
343 If two files have the same modification timestamp, sort their names
344 in ascending lexicographical order.
347 option reverses both of these sort orders.
349 Note that these sort orders are contradictory: the time sequence is in
350 descending order, the lexicographical sort is in ascending order.
351 This behavior is mandated by
353 This feature can cause problems listing files stored with sequential names on
354 FAT file systems, such as from digital cameras, where it is possible to have
355 more than one image with the same timestamp.
356 In such a case, the photos cannot be listed in the sequence in which
358 To ensure the same sort order for time and for lexicographical sorting, set the
366 to reverse the lexicographical sort order when sorting files with the
367 same modification timestamp.
369 Use time of last access,
370 instead of time of last modification
371 of the file for sorting
376 Force raw printing of non-printable characters.
378 when output is not to a terminal.
379 This option is not defined in
384 except that the multi-column output is produced with entries sorted
385 across, rather than down, the columns.
389 option is set, sort the alphabetical output in the same order as the time output.
390 This has the same effect as setting
392 See the description of the
394 option for more details.
395 This option is not defined in
402 This is the default when
403 output is not to a terminal.
407 option is set, print file sizes grouped and separated by thousands using the
408 non-monetary separator returned by
410 typically a comma or period.
411 If no locale is set, or the locale does not have a non-monetary separator, this
412 option has no effect.
413 This option is not defined in
421 options all override each other; the last one specified determines
428 options all override each other; the last one specified determines
435 options override each other; the last one specified determines
442 options all override each other; the last one specified determines
443 the format used for non-printable characters.
449 options all override each other (either partially or fully); they
450 are applied in the order specified.
454 lists one entry per line to standard
455 output; the exceptions are to terminals or when the
459 options are specified.
461 File information is displayed with one or more
463 separating the information associated with the
471 option is given, the following information
472 is displayed for each file:
474 number of links, owner name, group name,
476 number of bytes in the file, abbreviated
477 month, day-of-month file was last modified,
478 hour file last modified, minute file last
479 modified, and the pathname.
481 If the modification time of the file is more than 6 months
482 in the past or future, and the
487 then the year of the last modification
488 is displayed in place of the hour and minute fields.
490 If the owner or group names are not a known user or group name,
494 the numeric ID's are displayed.
496 If the file is a character special or block special file,
497 the device number for the file is displayed in the size field.
498 If the file is a symbolic link the pathname of the
499 linked-to file is preceded by
502 The listing of a directory's contents is preceded
503 by a labeled total number of blocks used in the file system by the files
504 which are listed as the directory's contents
505 (which may or may not include
509 and other files which start with a dot, depending on other options).
511 The default block size is 512 bytes.
512 The block size may be set with option
514 or environment variable
516 Numbers of blocks in the output will have been rounded up so the
517 numbers of bytes is at least as many as used by the corresponding
518 file system blocks (which might have a different size).
520 The file mode printed under the
522 option consists of the
523 entry type and the permissions.
524 The entry type character describes the type of file, as
527 .Bl -tag -width 4n -offset indent -compact
533 Character special file.
546 The next three fields
547 are three characters each:
549 group permissions, and
551 Each field has three character positions:
552 .Bl -enum -offset indent
556 the file is readable; if
562 the file is writable; if
566 The first of the following that applies:
567 .Bl -tag -width 4n -offset indent
569 If in the owner permissions, the file is not executable and
570 set-user-ID mode is set.
571 If in the group permissions, the file is not executable
572 and set-group-ID mode is set.
574 If in the owner permissions, the file is executable
575 and set-user-ID mode is set.
576 If in the group permissions, the file is executable
577 and setgroup-ID mode is set.
579 The file is executable or the directory is
582 The file is neither readable, writable, executable,
583 nor set-user-ID nor set-group-ID mode, nor sticky.
587 These next two apply only to the third character in the last group
589 .Bl -tag -width 4n -offset indent
591 The sticky bit is set
594 but not execute or search permission.
600 The sticky bit is set (mode
602 and is searchable or executable.
610 The next field contains a
613 character if the file has an ACL, or a
619 utility does not show the actual ACL;
624 The following environment variables affect the execution of
626 .Bl -tag -width ".Ev CLICOLOR_FORCE"
628 If this is set, its value, rounded up to 512 or down to a
629 multiple of 512, will be used as the block size in bytes by the
636 subsection for more information.
640 color sequences to distinguish file types.
644 In addition to the file types mentioned in the
646 option some extra attributes (setuid bit set, etc.) are also displayed.
647 The colorization is dependent on a terminal type with the proper
652 console has the proper capabilities,
653 but to display the colors in an
658 variable must be set to
660 Other terminal types may require similar adjustments.
662 is silently disabled if the output is not directed to a terminal
665 variable is defined or
669 .It Ev CLICOLOR_FORCE
670 Color sequences are normally disabled if the output is not directed to
672 This can be overridden by setting this variable.
675 variable still needs to reference a color capable terminal however
676 otherwise it is not possible to determine which color sequences to
683 If this variable contains a string representing a
684 decimal integer, it is used as the
685 column position width for displaying
686 multiple-text-column output.
689 utility calculates how
690 many pathname text columns to display
691 based on the width provided.
697 The locale to use when determining the order of day and month in the long
702 for more information.
704 The value of this variable describes what color to use for which
705 attribute when colors are enabled with
709 This string is a concatenation of pairs of the format
713 is the foreground color and
715 is the background color.
717 The color designators are as follows:
719 .Bl -tag -width 4n -offset indent -compact
737 bold black, usually shows up as dark grey
743 bold brown, usually shows up as yellow
751 bold light grey; looks like bright white
753 default foreground or background
756 Note that the above are standard
759 The actual display may differ
760 depending on the color capabilities of the terminal in use.
762 The order of the attributes are as follows:
764 .Bl -enum -offset indent -compact
780 executable with setuid bit set
782 executable with setgid bit set
784 directory writable to others, with sticky bit
786 directory writable to others, without sticky bit
790 .Qq "exfxcxdxbxegedabagacad" ,
791 i.e., blue foreground and
792 default background for regular directories, black foreground and red
793 background for setuid executables, etc.
795 If this variable is set, it is considered to be a
796 colon-delimited list of minimum column widths.
798 and insufficient widths are ignored (thus zero signifies
799 a dynamically sized column).
800 Not all columns have changeable widths.
802 in order: inode, block count, number of links, user name,
803 group name, flags, file size, file name.
805 If this variable is set, the
807 option sorts the names of files with the same modification timestamp in the same
808 sense as the time sort.
809 See the description of the
811 option for more details.
817 functionality depends on a terminal type with color capabilities.
819 The timezone to use when displaying dates.
822 for more information.
827 List the contents of the current working directory in long format:
831 In addition to listing the contents of the current working directory in
832 long format, show inode numbers, file flags (see
834 and suffix each filename with a symbol representing its file type:
840 sorting the output such that the mostly recently modified entries are
843 .Dl $ ls -lt /var/log
845 The group field is now automatically included in the long listing for
846 files in order to be compatible with the
864 With the exception of options
873 .Fl B , D , G , I , T , U , W , Z , b , h , w , y
876 are compatible extensions not defined in
879 The ACL support is compatible with
882 .Pq Dq Tn POSIX Ns .2c
891 To maintain backward compatibility, the relationships between the many
892 options are quite complex.
894 The exception mentioned in the
896 option description might be a feature that was
897 based on the fact that single-column output
898 usually goes to something other than a terminal.
899 It is debatable whether this is a design bug.
902 mandates opposite sort orders for files with the same timestamp when