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file

file managementLinux/Unix

The file command is one of the most frequently used commands in Linux/Unix-like operating systems. file Determine file type

See Examples View Syntax

Quick Reference

Command Name:

file

Category:

file management

Platform:

Linux/Unix

Basic Usage:

file [options] [arguments]

Common Use Cases

Syntax

file [options] [file...]

Options

Option	Description
`-b, --brief`	Do not prepend filenames to output lines
`-c, --checking-printout`	Print the parsed form of the magic file for debugging
`-f, --files-from FILE`	Read the names of the files to be examined from FILE
`-F, --separator STRING`	Use STRING as the separator between file name and file result
`-i, --mime`	Output MIME type strings rather than traditional descriptions
`-k, --keep-going`	Continue looking for matches after finding a match
`-L, --dereference`	Follow symbolic links
`-m, --magic-file LIST`	Use LIST as a colon-separated list of magic files
`-n, --no-buffer`	Do not buffer output
`-z, --uncompress`	Try to look inside compressed files

Examples

How to Use These Examples

The examples below show common ways to use the file command. Try them in your terminal to see the results. You can copy any example by clicking on the code block.

# Basic Examples Basic

file document.txt

Determine the type of document.txt.

file -b document.txt

Display file type without the filename prefix.

file -i document.txt

Show the MIME type of the file. # Advanced Examples Advanced file -z compressed.gz Look inside compressed files. file -L symlink.txt Follow symbolic links. file -f filelist.txt Read the files to examine from filelist.txt. file * Determine the type of all files in the current directory. file --mime-encoding document.txt Show only the character encoding of the file.

Try It Yourself

Practice makes perfect! The best way to learn is by trying these examples on your own system with real files.

Understanding Syntax

Pay attention to the syntax coloring: commands, options, and file paths are highlighted differently.

Notes

The file command is used to determine the type of a file based on its contents rather than its filename extension. Key features of the file command: 1. Content Analysis: file examines the content of each file to determine its type, checking for magic numbers, signatures, and other distinctive patterns. 2. Magic Database: It uses a 'magic' database (/usr/share/file/magic) that contains patterns for recognizing various file types. 3. Wide Range of Detection: file can identify various file types including text files, executable binaries, archives, images, audio files, documents, and many more. 4. MIME Type Support: With the -i option, file can output MIME types which are particularly useful for web applications and scripts that need standardized type information. 5. Symbolic Link Handling: By default, file reports on the symbolic link itself, but with -L it will report on the target of the link. 6. Compressed File Inspection: Using the -z option, file can look inside compressed files to determine the type of the compressed content. 7. Character Encoding Detection: file can identify the character encoding of text files, which is valuable when working with international text. The file command is particularly useful in scripts that need to process files differently based on their type, or when dealing with files that have incorrect or missing filename extensions.

Related Commands

These commands are frequently used alongside file or serve similar purposes:

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Use Cases

Learn By Doing

The best way to learn Linux commands is by practicing. Try out these examples in your terminal to build muscle memory and understand how the file command works in different scenarios.

See Examples Try Lab Exercises

$ file

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