GNU Core Utilities

Template:Short description Template:Refimprove Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other The GNU Core Utilities or coreutils is a collection of GNU software that implements many standard, Unix-based shell commands. The utilities generally provide POSIX compliant interface when the Template:Mono environment variable is set, but otherwise offers a superset to the standard interface. For example, the utilities support long options and options after parameters. This environment variable enables a different functionality in BSD.

Similar collections are available in the FOSS ecosystem, with a slightly different scope and focus (less functionality), or license. For example, BusyBox which is licensed under GPL-2.0-only, and Toybox which is licensed under 0BSD.

Commands

The commands implemented by coreutils are listed below. Throughout this article and customary for Unix-based systems, the term file refers to all file system items including regular files and special files such as directories.

File utilities

• chcon Template:Endash Changes file security context (SELinux)
• chgrp Template:Endash Changes file group ownership
• chown Template:Endash Changes file user ownership
• chmod Template:Endash Changes file permissions
• cp Template:Endash Copies files
• dd Template:Endash Copies and converts file data
• df Template:Endash Reports file system free space
• dir Template:Endash Like ls -C -b; by default lists files in columns, sorted vertically
• dircolors Template:Endash Configures colors used for ls output
• install Template:Endash Copies files and sets file attributes
• ln Template:Endash Creates a link to a file
• ls Template:Endash Lists files
• mkdir Template:Endash Creates directories
• mkfifo Template:Endash Creates named pipes (FIFOs)
• mknod Template:Endash Creates block or character special files
• mktemp Template:Endash Creates temporary regular files or directories
• mv Template:Endash Moves and renames files
• realpath Template:Endash Reports the absolute or relative path of a file
• rm Template:Endash Deletes files
• rmdir Template:Endash Deletes empty directories
• shred Template:Endash Overwrites a file to hide its contents and optionally deletes it
• sync Template:Endash Flushes file system buffers
• touch Template:Endash Changes file timestamps; creating files if they do not exist
• truncate Template:Endash Sets the size of a file via truncation or extension
• vdir Template:Endash Like ls -l -b; by default lists files in long format

Text utilities

• b2sum Template:Endash Computes and checks BLAKE2b message digest
• base32 Template:Endash Encodes or decodes base32
• base64 Template:Endash Encodes or decodes base64
• basenc Template:Endash Encodes or decodes various encodings including hexadecimal, base32, base64, and Z85
• cat Template:Endash Concatenates files
• cksum Template:Endash Report or compute the checksum of files
• comm Template:Endash Compares two sorted files line by line
• csplit Template:Endash Splits a file into sections determined by context lines
• cut Template:Endash Removes sections from each line of files
• expand Template:Endash Converts tabs to spaces
• fmt Template:Endash Formats text
• fold Template:Endash Wraps each input line to fit in specified width
• head Template:Endash Outputs the first part of files
• join Template:Endash Joins lines of two files on a common field
• md5sum Template:Endash Computes and checks MD5 message digest
• nl Template:Endash Numbers lines of files
• numfmt Template:Endash Formats numbers
• od Template:Endash Dumps files in octal and other formats
• paste Template:Endash Merges lines of files
• ptx Template:Endash Produces a permuted index of file contents
• pr Template:Endash Paginates or columnates files
• sha1sum, sha224sum, sha256sum, sha384sum, sha512sum Template:Endash Computes and checks SHA-1/SHA-2 message digests
• shuf Template:Endash Generates random permutations
• sort Template:Endash Sorts lines of text files
• split Template:Endash Splits a file into pieces
• sum Template:Endash Checksums and counts the blocks in a file
• tac Template:Endash Concatenates files in reverse order; line by line
• tail Template:Endash Outputs the last part of files
• tr Template:Endash Translates or deletes characters
• tsort Template:Endash Performs a topological sort
• unexpand Template:Endash Converts spaces to tabs
• uniq Template:Endash Removes duplicate lines from a sorted file
• wc Template:Endash Reports the number of bytes, words, and lines in files

Shell utilities

• arch Template:Endash Reports machine hardware name; same as uname -m
• basename Template:Endash Removes the path prefix from a given pathname
• chroot Template:Endash Changes the root directory
• date Template:Endash Reports or sets the system date and time
• dirname Template:Endash Strips non-directory suffix from file name
• du Template:Endash Shows disk usage on file systems
• echo Template:Endash Outputs text
• env Template:Endash Reports and modifies environment variables
• expr Template:Endash Evaluates expressions
• factor Template:Endash Factors numbers
• false Template:Endash Does nothing but exit with unsuccessful status
• groups Template:Endash Reports the groups of which the user is a member
• hostid Template:Endash Reports the numeric identifier for the current host
• id Template:Endash Reports the real or effective UID and GID
• link Template:Endash Creates a link to a file
• logname Template:Endash Reports the user's login name
• nice Template:Endash Modifies scheduling priority
• nohup Template:Endash Allows a command to continue running after logging out
• nproc Template:Endash Queries the number of (active) processors
• pathchk Template:Endash Checks whether file names are valid or portable
• pinky Template:Endash A lightweight version of finger
• printenv Template:Endash Reports environment variables
• printf Template:Endash Formats text
• pwd Template:Endash Reports the current working directory
• readlink Template:Endash Reports the value of a symbolic link
• runcon Template:Endash Run command with specified security context
• seq Template:Endash Reports a sequence of numbers
• sleep Template:Endash Blocks (delays, waits) for a specified amount of time
• stat Template:Endash Reports information about an inode
• stdbuf Template:Endash Runs a command with custom standard streams configuration
• stty Template:Endash Changes and reports terminal line settings
• tee Template:Endash Sends output to multiple files
• test Template:Endash Evaluates an expression
• timeout Template:Endash Runs a command with a time limit
• true Template:Endash Does nothing but exit with success status
• tty Template:Endash Reports the terminal name
• uname Template:Endash Reports system information
• unlink Template:Endash Removes files via unlink() function
• uptime Template:Endash Reports how long the system has been running
• users Template:Endash Reports the user names of users currently logged into the current host
• who Template:Endash Reports logged-in users
• whoami Template:Endash Reports the effective userid
• yes Template:Endash Outputs a string repeatedly
• [ Template:Endash Synonym for test that enables expressions like [ expression ]

History

In 1990, David MacKenzie announced GNU fileutils.

In 1991, MacKenzie announced GNU shellutils and GNU textutils. Moreover, Jim Meyering became the maintainer of the packages (known now as coreutils) and has remained so since.

In September 2002, the GNU coreutils were created by merging the earlier packages textutils, shellutils, and fileutils, along with some other miscellaneous utilities.

In July 2007, the license of the GNU coreutils was updated from GPL-2.0-or-later to GPL-3.0-or-later.

See also

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External links

• Template:Official website
• Manual
• README
• The Heirloom Toolchest - An alternative set of utilities
• opensource.com article: gnu-core-utilities on 4 Apr 2018 by David Both (Correspondent)
• Rosetta Stone For *Nix – configurable list of equivalent programs for *nix systems.
• The Unix Acronym List – explains the names of many Unix commands.
• The UNIX System Homepage