./_Man_Gnu_html/html1/ls.1.html

Manual page for LS(1L)

ls, dir, vdir - list contents of directories

SYNOPSIS

ls [-abcdfgiklmnpqrstuxABCFGLNQRSUX1] [-w cols] [-T cols] [-I pattern] [--all] [--escape] [--directory] [--inode] [--kilobytes] [--numeric-uid-gid] [--no-group] [--hide-control-chars] [--reverse] [--size] [--width=cols] [--tabsize=cols] [--almost-all] [--ignore-backups] [--classify] [--file-type] [--full-time] [--ignore=pattern] [--dereference] [--literal] [--quote-name] [--recursive] [--sort={none,time,size,extension}] [--format={long,verbose,commas,across,vertical,single-column}] [--time={atime,access,use,ctime,status}] [--help] [--version] [name...]

DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents the GNU version of ls. dir and vdir are versions of ls with different default output formats. These programs list each given file or directory name. Directory contents are sorted alphabetically. For ls, files are by default listed in columns, sorted vertically, if the standard output is a terminal; otherwise they are listed one per line. For dir, files are by default listed in columns, sorted vertically. For vdir, files are by default listed in long format.

OPTIONS

-a, --all: List all files in directories, including all files that start with `.'.
-b, --escape: Quote nongraphic characters in file names using alphabetic and octal backslash sequences like those used in C.
-c, --time=ctime, --time=status: Sort directory contents according to the files' status change time instead of the modification time. If the long listing format is being used, print the status change time instead of the modification time.
-d, --directory: List directories like other files, rather than listing their contents.
-f: Do not sort directory contents; list them in whatever order they are stored on the disk. The same as enabling -a and -U and disabling -l, -s, and -t.
--full-time: List times in full, rather than using the standard abbreviation heuristics.
-g: Ignored; for Unix compatibility.
-i, --inode: Print the index number of each file to the left of the file name.
-k, --kilobytes: If file sizes are being listed, print them in kilobytes. This overrides the environment variable POSIXLY_CORRECT.
-l, --format=long, --format=verbose: In addition to the name of each file, print the file type, permissions, number of hard links, owner name, group name, size in bytes, and timestamp (the modification time unless other times are selected). For files with a time that is more than 6 months old or more than 1 hour into the future, the timestamp contains the year instead of the time of day.
-m, --format=commas: List files horizontally, with as many as will fit on each line, separated by commas.
-n, --numeric-uid-gid: List the numeric UID and GID instead of the names.
-p: Append a character to each file name indicating the file type.
-q, --hide-control-chars: Print question marks instead of nongraphic characters in file names.
-r, --reverse: Sort directory contents in reverse order.
-s, --size: Print the size of each file in 1K blocks to the left of the file name. If the environment variable POSIXLY_CORRECT is set, 512-byte blocks are used instead.
-t, --sort=time: Sort directory contents by timestamp instead of alphabetically, with the newest files listed first.
-u, --time=atime, --time=access, --time=use: Sort directory contents according to the files' last access time instead of the modification time. If the long listing format is being used, print the last access time instead of the modification time.
-x, --format=across, --format=horizontal: List the files in columns, sorted horizontally.
-A, --almost-all: List all files in directories, except for `.' and `..'.
-B, --ignore-backups: Do not list files that end with `~', unless they are given on the command line.
-C, --format=vertical: List files in columns, sorted vertically.
-F, --classify: Append a character to each file name indicating the file type. For regular files that are executable, append a `*'. The file type indicators are `/' for directories, `@' for symbolic links, `|' for FIFOs, `=' for sockets, and nothing for regular files.
-G, --no-group: Inhibit display of group information in a long format directory listing.
-L, --dereference: List the files linked to by symbolic links instead of listing the contents of the links.
-N, --literal: Do not quote file names.
-Q, --quote-name: Enclose file names in double quotes and quote nongraphic characters as in C.
-R, --recursive: List the contents of all directories recursively.
-S, --sort=size: Sort directory contents by file size instead of alphabetically, with the largest files listed first.
-U, --sort=none: Do not sort directory contents; list them in whatever order they are stored on the disk. This option is not called -f because the Unix ls -f option also enables -a and disables -l, -s, and -t. It seems useless and ugly to group those unrelated things together in one option. Since this option doesn't do that, it has a different name.
-X, --sort=extension: Sort directory contents alphabetically by file extension (characters after the last `.'); files with no extension are sorted first.
-1, --format=single-column: List one file per line.
-w, --width cols: Assume the screen is cols columns wide. The default is taken from the terminal driver if possible; otherwise the environment variable COLUMNS is used if it is set; otherwise the default is 80.
-T, --tabsize cols: Assume that each tabstop is cols columns wide. The default is 8.
-I, --ignore pattern: Do not list files whose names match the shell pattern pattern unless they are given on the command line. As in the shell, an initial `.' in a filename does not match a wildcard at the start of pattern.
--help: Print a usage message on standard output and exit successfully.
--version: Print version information on standard output then exit successfully.

BUGS

On BSD systems, the -s option reports sizes that are half the correct values for files that are NFS-mounted from HP-UX systems. On HP-UX systems, it reports sizes that are twice the correct values for files that are NFS-mounted from BSD systems. This is due to a flaw in HP-UX; it also affects the HP-UX ls program.