file(1B)

NAME

     file - determine the type of a file by  examining  its  con-
     tents

SYNOPSIS

     /usr/ucb/file [-f ffile] [-cL] [-m mfile] filename...

DESCRIPTION

     file performs a series of tests  on  each   filename  in  an
     attempt  to determine what it contains. If the contents of a
     file appear to be  ASCII text, file examines the  first  512
     bytes and tries to guess its language.

     file uses the file /etc/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.

OPTIONS

     -c    Check for format errors in the magic number file.  For
           reasons of efficiency, this validation is not normally
           carried out. No file type-checking is done under -c.

     -f ffile
           Get a list of filenames to identify from  ffile.

     -L    If a file is a symbolic link, test the file  the  link
           references rather than the link itself.

     -m mfile
           Use mfile as the name of  an  alternate  magic  number
           file.

EXAMPLES

     Example 1: Using file on all the files in a specific  user's
     directory.

     This example illustrates the use of file on all the files in
     a specific user's directory:

     example% pwd
     /usr/blort/misc

     example% /usr/ucb/file  *

     code:           mc68020 demand paged executable
     code.c:         c program text
     counts:         ascii text
     doc:            roff,nroff, or eqn input text
     empty.file:     empty
     libz:           archive random library
     memos:          directory
     project:        symboliclink to /usr/project
     script:         executable shell script
     titles:         ascii text
     s5.stuff:       cpio archive

     example%

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

     The environment variables  LC_CTYPE,  LANG,  and  LC_default
     control  the  character  classification  throughout file. On
     entry to file, these environment variables  are  checked  in
     the  following order: LC_CTYPE, LANG, and LC_default. When a
     valid value is found, remaining  environment  variables  for
     character  classification  are  ignored.  For example, a new
     setting for LANG does not override the current valid charac-
     ter  classification  rules  of  LC_CTYPE.  When  none of the
     values is valid, the shell character classification defaults
     to the   POSIX.1 "C"  locale.

FILES

     /etc/magic

ATTRIBUTES

     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Availability                | SUNWscpu                    |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|

SEE ALSO

     magic(4), attributes(5)

BUGS

     file often makes mistakes.  In particular, it often suggests
     that command files are C programs.

     file does not recognize Pascal or  LISP.