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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
138 in the environment and setting
139 .Fl -color Ns = Ns Ar auto .
141 This functionality can be compiled out by removing the definition of
143 This option is not defined in
146 Symbolic links on the command line are followed.
147 This option is assumed if
152 options are specified.
156 from being automatically set for the super-user.
157 This option is not defined in
160 If argument is a symbolic link, list the file or directory the link references
161 rather than the link itself.
162 This option cancels the
166 If argument is a symbolic link, list the link itself rather than the
167 object the link references.
168 This option cancels the
174 Recursively list subdirectories encountered.
176 Sort by size (largest file first) before sorting the operands in
177 lexicographical order.
179 When printing in the long
181 format, display complete time information for the file, including
182 month, day, hour, minute, second, and year.
185 option gives even more control over the output format.
186 This option is not defined in
189 Use time when file was created for sorting or printing.
190 This option is not defined in
193 Display whiteouts when scanning directories.
194 This option is not defined in
197 Display each file's MAC label; see
199 This option is not defined in
202 Include directory entries whose names begin with a
210 escape codes whenever possible.
211 This option is not defined in
214 Use time when file status was last changed for sorting or printing.
215 .It Fl -color Ns = Ns Ar when
216 Output colored escape sequences based on
218 which may be set to either
230 is unset or set to an invalid terminal, then
232 will fall back to explicit
234 escape sequences without the help of
239 is specified without an argument.
244 output escape sequences based on
248 is a tty and either the
250 flag is specified or the
252 environment variable is set and not empty.
255 will disable color regardless of environment variables.
257 is the default when neither
263 For compatibility with GNU coreutils,
283 Directories are listed as plain files (not searched recursively).
285 Output is not sorted.
288 It also negates the effect of the
296 this option has no effect on the
304 This option has no effect.
305 It is only available for compatibility with
307 where it was used to display the group name in the long
310 This option is incompatible with
315 option, use unit suffixes: Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte
316 and Petabyte in order to reduce the number of digits to four or fewer
317 using base 2 for sizes.
318 This option is not defined in
321 For each file, print the file's file serial number (inode number).
323 This has the same effect as setting environment variable
325 to 1024, except that it also nullifies any
329 (The lowercase letter
331 List files in the long format, as described in the
335 Stream output format; list files across the page, separated by commas.
337 Display user and group IDs numerically rather than converting to a user
338 or group name in a long
342 Include the file flags in a long
345 This option is incompatible with
349 for a list of file flags and their meanings.
353 after each filename if that file is a directory.
355 Force printing of non-graphic characters in file names as
358 this is the default when output is to a terminal.
360 Reverse the order of the sort.
362 Display the number of blocks used in the file system by each file.
363 Block sizes and directory totals are handled as described in
365 subsection below, except (if the long format is not also requested)
366 the directory totals are not output when the output is in a
367 single column, even if multi-column output is requested.
369 Sort by descending time modified (most recently modified first).
370 If two files have the same modification timestamp, sort their names
371 in ascending lexicographical order.
374 option reverses both of these sort orders.
376 Note that these sort orders are contradictory: the time sequence is in
377 descending order, the lexicographical sort is in ascending order.
378 This behavior is mandated by
380 This feature can cause problems listing files stored with sequential names on
381 FAT file systems, such as from digital cameras, where it is possible to have
382 more than one image with the same timestamp.
383 In such a case, the photos cannot be listed in the sequence in which
385 To ensure the same sort order for time and for lexicographical sorting, set the
393 to reverse the lexicographical sort order when sorting files with the
394 same modification timestamp.
396 Use time of last access,
397 instead of time of last modification
398 of the file for sorting
403 Force raw printing of non-printable characters.
405 when output is not to a terminal.
406 This option is not defined in
411 except that the multi-column output is produced with entries sorted
412 across, rather than down, the columns.
416 option is set, sort the alphabetical output in the same order as the time output.
417 This has the same effect as setting
419 See the description of the
421 option for more details.
422 This option is not defined in
429 This is the default when
430 output is not to a terminal.
434 option is set, print file sizes grouped and separated by thousands using the
435 non-monetary separator returned by
437 typically a comma or period.
438 If no locale is set, or the locale does not have a non-monetary separator, this
439 option has no effect.
440 This option is not defined in
448 options all override each other; the last one specified determines
455 options all override each other; the last one specified determines
462 options override each other; the last one specified determines
469 options all override each other; the last one specified determines
470 the format used for non-printable characters.
476 options all override each other (either partially or fully); they
477 are applied in the order specified.
481 lists one entry per line to standard
482 output; the exceptions are to terminals or when the
486 options are specified.
488 File information is displayed with one or more
490 separating the information associated with the
498 option is given, the following information
499 is displayed for each file:
501 number of links, owner name, group name,
503 number of bytes in the file, abbreviated
504 month, day-of-month file was last modified,
505 hour file last modified, minute file last
506 modified, and the pathname.
508 If the modification time of the file is more than 6 months
509 in the past or future, and the
514 then the year of the last modification
515 is displayed in place of the hour and minute fields.
517 If the owner or group names are not a known user or group name,
521 the numeric ID's are displayed.
523 If the file is a character special or block special file,
524 the device number for the file is displayed in the size field.
525 If the file is a symbolic link the pathname of the
526 linked-to file is preceded by
529 The listing of a directory's contents is preceded
530 by a labeled total number of blocks used in the file system by the files
531 which are listed as the directory's contents
532 (which may or may not include
536 and other files which start with a dot, depending on other options).
538 The default block size is 512 bytes.
539 The block size may be set with option
541 or environment variable
543 Numbers of blocks in the output will have been rounded up so the
544 numbers of bytes is at least as many as used by the corresponding
545 file system blocks (which might have a different size).
547 The file mode printed under the
549 option consists of the
550 entry type and the permissions.
551 The entry type character describes the type of file, as
554 .Bl -tag -width 4n -offset indent -compact
560 Character special file.
573 The next three fields
574 are three characters each:
576 group permissions, and
578 Each field has three character positions:
579 .Bl -enum -offset indent
583 the file is readable; if
589 the file is writable; if
593 The first of the following that applies:
594 .Bl -tag -width 4n -offset indent
596 If in the owner permissions, the file is not executable and
597 set-user-ID mode is set.
598 If in the group permissions, the file is not executable
599 and set-group-ID mode is set.
601 If in the owner permissions, the file is executable
602 and set-user-ID mode is set.
603 If in the group permissions, the file is executable
604 and setgroup-ID mode is set.
606 The file is executable or the directory is
609 The file is neither readable, writable, executable,
610 nor set-user-ID nor set-group-ID mode, nor sticky.
614 These next two apply only to the third character in the last group
616 .Bl -tag -width 4n -offset indent
618 The sticky bit is set
621 but not execute or search permission.
627 The sticky bit is set (mode
629 and is searchable or executable.
637 The next field contains a
640 character if the file has an ACL, or a
646 utility does not show the actual ACL;
651 The following environment variables affect the execution of
653 .Bl -tag -width ".Ev CLICOLOR_FORCE"
655 If this is set, its value, rounded up to 512 or down to a
656 multiple of 512, will be used as the block size in bytes by the
663 subsection for more information.
667 color sequences to distinguish file types.
671 In addition to the file types mentioned in the
673 option some extra attributes (setuid bit set, etc.) are also displayed.
674 The colorization is dependent on a terminal type with the proper
679 console has the proper capabilities,
680 but to display the colors in an
685 variable must be set to
687 Other terminal types may require similar adjustments.
689 is silently disabled if the output is not directed to a terminal
692 variable is defined or
696 .It Ev CLICOLOR_FORCE
697 Color sequences are normally disabled if the output is not directed to
699 This can be overridden by setting this variable.
702 variable still needs to reference a color capable terminal however
703 otherwise it is not possible to determine which color sequences to
710 If this variable contains a string representing a
711 decimal integer, it is used as the
712 column position width for displaying
713 multiple-text-column output.
716 utility calculates how
717 many pathname text columns to display
718 based on the width provided.
724 The locale to use when determining the order of day and month in the long
729 for more information.
731 The value of this variable describes what color to use for which
732 attribute when colors are enabled with
736 This string is a concatenation of pairs of the format
740 is the foreground color and
742 is the background color.
744 The color designators are as follows:
746 .Bl -tag -width 4n -offset indent -compact
764 bold black, usually shows up as dark grey
770 bold brown, usually shows up as yellow
778 bold light grey; looks like bright white
780 default foreground or background
783 Note that the above are standard
786 The actual display may differ
787 depending on the color capabilities of the terminal in use.
789 The order of the attributes are as follows:
791 .Bl -enum -offset indent -compact
807 executable with setuid bit set
809 executable with setgid bit set
811 directory writable to others, with sticky bit
813 directory writable to others, without sticky bit
817 .Qq "exfxcxdxbxegedabagacad" ,
818 i.e., blue foreground and
819 default background for regular directories, black foreground and red
820 background for setuid executables, etc.
822 If this variable is set, it is considered to be a
823 colon-delimited list of minimum column widths.
825 and insufficient widths are ignored (thus zero signifies
826 a dynamically sized column).
827 Not all columns have changeable widths.
829 in order: inode, block count, number of links, user name,
830 group name, flags, file size, file name.
832 If this variable is set, the
834 option sorts the names of files with the same modification timestamp in the same
835 sense as the time sort.
836 See the description of the
838 option for more details.
844 functionality depends on a terminal type with color capabilities.
846 The timezone to use when displaying dates.
849 for more information.
854 List the contents of the current working directory in long format:
858 In addition to listing the contents of the current working directory in
859 long format, show inode numbers, file flags (see
861 and suffix each filename with a symbol representing its file type:
867 sorting the output such that the mostly recently modified entries are
870 .Dl $ ls -lt /var/log
872 The group field is now automatically included in the long listing for
873 files in order to be compatible with the
891 With the exception of options
900 .Fl B , D , G , I , T , U , W , Z , b , h , w , y
903 are compatible extensions not defined in
906 The ACL support is compatible with
909 .Pq Dq Tn POSIX Ns .2c
918 To maintain backward compatibility, the relationships between the many
919 options are quite complex.
921 The exception mentioned in the
923 option description might be a feature that was
924 based on the fact that single-column output
925 usually goes to something other than a terminal.
926 It is debatable whether this is a design bug.
929 mandates opposite sort orders for files with the same timestamp when