NAME

SYNOPSIS

[--version]

[--color[={yes,no,tty}]] [--colour[={yes,no,tty}]] [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

-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

-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.

--color, --colour, --color=yes, --colour=yes

Colorize the names of files depending on the type of file. See DISPLAY COLORIZATION below.

--color=tty, --colour=tty

Same as --color but only if standard output is a terminal. This is very useful for shell scripts and command aliases, especially if your favorite pager does not support color control codes.

--color=no, --colour=no

Disables colorization. This is the default. Provided to override a previous color option.

--help

Print a usage message on standard output and exit successfully.

--version

Print version information on standard output then exit successfully.

You can override the default colors by defining the environment variable LS_COLORS (or LS_COLOURS). The format of this variable is reminicent of the termcap(5) file format; a colon-separated list of expressions of the form "xx=string", where "xx" is a two-character variable name. The variables with their associated defaults are:

no

0 Normal (non-filename) text

fi

0 Regular file di 32 Directory

ln

36 Symbolic link

pi

31 Named pipe (FIFO) so 33 Socket

bd

44;37 Block device

cd

44;37 Character device

ex

35 Executable file

mi

(none) Missing file (defaults to fi)

or

(none) Orphanned symbolic link (defaults to ln)

lc

\e[ Left code

rc

m Right code

ec

(none) End code (replaces lc+no+rc)

File names can also be colorized based on filename extension. This is specified in the LS_COLORS variable using the syntax "*ext=string". For example, using ISO 6429 codes, to color all C-language source files blue you would specify "*.c=34". This would color all files ending in .c in blue (34) color.

Control characters can be written either in C-style \escaped notation, or in stty-like ^-notation. The C-style notation adds \e for Escape, \_ for a normal space characer, and \? for Delete. In addition, the \ escape character can be used to override the default interpretation of \, ^, : and =.

Each file will be written as <lc> <color code> <rc> <filename> <ec>. If the <ec> code is undefined, the sequence <lc> <no> <rc> will be used instead. This is generally more convenient to use, but less general. The left, right and end codes are provided so you don't have to type common parts over and over again and to support weird terminals; you will generally not need to change them at all unless your terminal does not use ISO 6429 color sequences but a different system.

If your terminal does use ISO 6429 color codes, you can compose the type codes (i.e. all except the lc, rc, and ec codes) from numerical commands separated by semicolons. The most common commands are:

0

to restore default color

1

for brighter colors

4

for underlined text

5

for flashing text

30

for black foreground

31

for red foreground

32

for green foreground

33

for yellow (or brown) foreground

34

for blue foreground

35

for purple foreground

36

for cyan foreground

37

for white (or gray) foreground

40

for black background

41

for red background

42

for green background

43

for yellow (or brown) background

44

for blue background

45

for purple background

46

for cyan background

47

for white (or gray) background

A few terminal programs do not recognize the default end code properly. If all text gets colorized after you do a directory listing, try changing the no and fi codes from 0 to the numerical codes for your standard fore- and background colors.

BUGS

If there was a single standard for the English language it would not be necessary to support redundant spellings.

Table of Contents

• NAME
• SYNOPSIS
• DESCRIPTION
• BUGS