file(1) — UTek W2.3



FILE(1)                 COMMAND REFERENCE                 FILE(1)



NAME
     file - determine file type

SYNOPSIS
     file [ -c ] [ -f ffile ] [ -m mfile ] arg ...

DESCRIPTION
     File performs a series of tests on each argument in an
     attempt to classify it.  If an argument appears to be ASCII,
     file examines the first 512 bytes and tries to guess its
     language.

     Each file is printed in the format:

          name:        file type Symbolic links are printed in
          the format:

          name:        Symbolic link. File pointed to is <file
          type>

     File uses the file /usr/lib/magic to identify files that
     have some sort of magic number, that is, any file containing
     a numeric or string constant that indicates its type.  The
     file format is described in the manual page magic(5).

     File recognizes the following file types:

          ASCII archives               Empty
          ASCII text                   English text
          Assembler program text       FORTRAN program text
          BASIC program text           MH message
          Block special                News article
          C program text               Nroff, troff, tbl, or eqn input
          Character special            Old archive
          Commands text                Old executable
          Compacted text               Packed text
          Cpio archives                Program scripts
          Data                         RCS file
          Demand paged pure executable Read only executable
          Directories                  Troff output

     If the file is executable and not stripped, that fact is
     noted.

     There are two ASCII archive formats: normal and long. In
     each case, if the archive contains a symbol definition table
     (see ar(1) and ranlib(1)), that fact is noted.

     A program script file is a file whose first line is an
     interpreter line (see execve(2)). The name of the program to
     be executed is printed.




Printed 10/17/86                                                1



FILE(1)                 COMMAND REFERENCE                 FILE(1)



     If an ASC.B file contains characters with the eighth bit
     set, the file type is followed by the words ``with
     garbage''.

OPTIONS
     -c  Causes file to check the magic file for format errors.
         This validation is not normally carried out for reasons
         of efficiency.  No file typing is done under -c.

     -fffile
         The next argument is taken to be a file containing the
         names of the files to be examined.

     -mmfile
         Instructs file to use an alternate magic file.

EXAMPLES
     The following example will print the name of each file in
     /da/tmp followed by its classification.



          file /da/tmp/*


RETURN VALUE
     [P_ERR]        A system error occurred. Execution
                    terminated.  See intro(2) for more
                    information on system errors.

     [NP_ERR]       An error occurred that was not a system
                    error.  Execution terminated.

     [NP_WARN]      An error warranting a warning message
                    occurred. Execution continues.

     [USAGE]        Incorrect command line syntax. Execution
                    terminated.

     [NO_ERRS]      Command completed without error.

CAVEATS
     It often makes mistakes.  In particular it often suggests
     that command files are C programs.

     Does not recognize Pascal or LISP.

     Interpreter lines ('#!  pathname) are not checked for
     validity. A line like '#!  /foo' will cause the file to be
     identified as script commands for /foo, even though the file
     will not be executed. Execute permission is not checked.




Printed 10/17/86                                                2



FILE(1)                 COMMAND REFERENCE                 FILE(1)



SEE ALSO
     ld(1), notmagic(3c), a.out(5), ar(5), cpio(5), magic(5),
     rcsfile(5rcs).




















































Printed 10/17/86                                                3

%%index%%
na:72,62;
sy:134,195;
de:329,2122;2595,135;
op:2730,546;
ex:3276,205;
rv:3481,621;
ca:4102,463;
se:4709,268;
%%index%%000000000142

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