| -a--all | do not ignore entries starting with . |
| -A--almost-all | do not list implied . and .. |
| --author | with -l, print the author of each file |
| -b--escape | print C-style escapes for nongraphic characters |
| --block-size | with -l, scale sizes by SIZE when printing them; e.g., '--block-size=M'; see SIZE format below |
| -B--ignore-backups | do not list implied entries ending with ~ |
| -c | with -lt: sort by, and show, ctime (time of last change of file status information); with -l: show ctime and sort by name; otherwise: sort by ctime, newest first |
| -C | list entries by columns |
| --color | color the output WHEN; more info below |
| -d--directory | list directories themselves, not their contents |
| -D--dired | generate output designed for Emacs' dired mode |
| -f | same as -a-U |
| -F--classify | append indicator (one of */=>@|) to entries WHEN |
| --file-type | likewise, except do not append '*' |
| --format | across,horizontal (-x), commas (-m), long (-l), single-column (-1), verbose (-l), vertical (-C) |
| --full-time | like -l--time-style=full-iso |
| -g | like -l, but do not list owner |
| --group-directories-first | group directories before files |
| -G--no-group | in a long listing, don't print group names |
| -h--human-readable | with -l and -s, print sizes like 1K 234M 2G etc. |
| --si | likewise, but use powers of 1000 not 1024 |
| -H--dereference-command-line | follow symbolic links listed on the command line |
| --dereference-command-line-symlink-to-dir | follow each command line symbolic link that points to a directory |
| --hide | do not list implied entries matching shell PATTERN (overridden by -a or -A) |
| --hyperlink | hyperlink file names WHEN |
| --indicator-style | append indicator with style WORD to entry names: none (default), slash (-p), file-type (--file-type), classify (-F) |
| -i--inode | print the index number of each file |
| -I--ignore | do not list implied entries matching shell PATTERN |
| -k--kibibytes | default to 1024-byte blocks for file system usage; used only with -s and per directory totals |
| -l | use a long listing format |
| -L--dereference | when showing file information for a symbolic link, show information for the file the link references rather than for the link itself |
| -m | fill width with a comma separated list of entries |
| -n--numeric-uid-gid | like -l, but list numeric user and group IDs |
| -N--literal | print entry names without quoting |
| -o | like -l, but do not list group information |
| -p--indicator-style | append / indicator to directories |
| -q--hide-control-chars | print ? instead of nongraphic characters |
| --show-control-chars | show nongraphic characters as-is (the default, unless program is 'ls' and output is a terminal) |
| -Q--quote-name | enclose entry names in double quotes |
| --quoting-style | use quoting style WORD for entry names: literal, locale, shell, shell-always, shell-escape, shell-escape-always, c, escape (overrides QUOTING_STYLE environment variable) |
| -r--reverse | reverse order while sorting |
| -R--recursive | list subdirectories recursively |
| -s--size | print the allocated size of each file, in blocks |
| -S | sort by file size, largest first |
| --sort | change default 'name' sort to WORD: none (-U), size (-S), time (-t), version (-v), extension (-X), name, width |
| --time | select which timestamp used to display or sort; access time (-u): atime, access, use; metadata change time (-c): ctime, status; modified time (default): mtime, modification; birth time: birth, creation; |
| --time-style | time/date format with -l; see TIME_STYLE below |
| -t | sort by time, newest first; see --time |
| -T--tabsize | assume tab stops at each COLS instead of 8 |
| -u | with -lt: sort by, and show, access time; with -l: show access time and sort by name; otherwise: sort by access time, newest first |
| -U | do not sort directory entries |
| -v | natural sort of (version) numbers within text |
| -w--width | set output width to COLS. 0 means no limit |
| -x | list entries by lines instead of by columns |
| -X | sort alphabetically by entry extension |
| -Z--context | print any security context of each file |
| --zero | end each output line with NUL, not newline |
| -1 | list one file per line |
| --help | display this help and exit |
| --version | output version information and exit |
| 0 | if OK, |
| 1 | if minor problems (e.g., cannot access subdirectory), |
| 2 | if serious trouble (e.g., cannot access command-line argument). |
NAME
dir - list directory contents
SYNOPSIS
dir [OPTION]... [FILE]...
DESCRIPTION
List information about the FILEs (the current directory by default). Sort entries alphabetically if none of -cftuvSUX nor --sort is specified.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
- -a, --all
do not ignore entries starting with .
- -A, --almost-all
do not list implied . and ..
with -l, print the author of each file
- -b, --escape
print C-style escapes for nongraphic characters
- --block-size=SIZE
with -l, scale sizes by SIZE when printing them; e.g., '--block-size=M'; see SIZE format below
- -B, --ignore-backups
do not list implied entries ending with ~
- -c
with -lt: sort by, and show, ctime (time of last change of file status information); with -l: show ctime and sort by name; otherwise: sort by ctime, newest first
- -C
list entries by columns
- --color[=WHEN]
color the output WHEN; more info below
- -d, --directory
list directories themselves, not their contents
- -D, --dired
generate output designed for Emacs' dired mode
- -f
same as -a-U
- -F, --classify[=WHEN]
append indicator (one of */=>@|) to entries WHEN
- --file-type
likewise, except do not append '*'
- --format=WORD
across,horizontal (-x), commas (-m), long (-l), single-column (-1), verbose (-l), vertical (-C)
- --full-time
like -l--time-style=full-iso
- -g
like -l, but do not list owner
- --group-directories-first
group directories before files
- -G, --no-group
in a long listing, don't print group names
- -h, --human-readable
with -l and -s, print sizes like 1K 234M 2G etc.
- --si
likewise, but use powers of 1000 not 1024
- -H, --dereference-command-line
follow symbolic links listed on the command line
- --dereference-command-line-symlink-to-dir
follow each command line symbolic link that points to a directory
- --hide=PATTERN
do not list implied entries matching shell PATTERN (overridden by -a or -A)
- --hyperlink[=WHEN]
hyperlink file names WHEN
- --indicator-style=WORD
append indicator with style WORD to entry names: none (default), slash (-p), file-type (--file-type), classify (-F)
- -i, --inode
print the index number of each file
- -I, --ignore=PATTERN
do not list implied entries matching shell PATTERN
- -k, --kibibytes
default to 1024-byte blocks for file system usage; used only with -s and per directory totals
- -l
use a long listing format
- -L, --dereference
when showing file information for a symbolic link, show information for the file the link references rather than for the link itself
- -m
fill width with a comma separated list of entries
- -n, --numeric-uid-gid
like -l, but list numeric user and group IDs
- -N, --literal
print entry names without quoting
- -o
like -l, but do not list group information
- -p, --indicator-style=slash
append / indicator to directories
- -q, --hide-control-chars
print ? instead of nongraphic characters
- --show-control-chars
show nongraphic characters as-is (the default, unless program is 'ls' and output is a terminal)
- -Q, --quote-name
enclose entry names in double quotes
- --quoting-style=WORD
use quoting style WORD for entry names: literal, locale, shell, shell-always, shell-escape, shell-escape-always, c, escape (overrides QUOTING_STYLE environment variable)
- -r, --reverse
reverse order while sorting
- -R, --recursive
list subdirectories recursively
- -s, --size
print the allocated size of each file, in blocks
- -S
sort by file size, largest first
- --sort=WORD
change default 'name' sort to WORD: none (-U), size (-S), time (-t), version (-v), extension (-X), name, width
- --time=WORD
select which timestamp used to display or sort; access time (-u): atime, access, use; metadata change time (-c): ctime, status; modified time (default): mtime, modification; birth time: birth, creation;
with -l, WORD determines which time to show; with --sort=time, sort by WORD (newest first)
- --time-style=TIME_STYLE
time/date format with -l; see TIME_STYLE below
- -t
sort by time, newest first; see --time
- -T, --tabsize=COLS
assume tab stops at each COLS instead of 8
- -u
with -lt: sort by, and show, access time; with -l: show access time and sort by name; otherwise: sort by access time, newest first
- -U
do not sort directory entries
- -v
natural sort of (version) numbers within text
- -w, --width=COLS
set output width to COLS. 0 means no limit
- -x
list entries by lines instead of by columns
- -X
sort alphabetically by entry extension
- -Z, --context
print any security context of each file
- --zero
end each output line with NUL, not newline
- -1
list one file per line
- --help
display this help and exit
- --version
output version information and exit
The SIZE argument is an integer and optional unit (example: 10K is 10*1024). Units are K,M,G,T,P,E,Z,Y,R,Q (powers of 1024) or KB,MB,... (powers of 1000). Binary prefixes can be used, too: KiB=K, MiB=M, and so on.
The TIME_STYLE argument can be full-iso, long-iso, iso, locale, or +FORMAT. FORMAT is interpreted like in date(1). If FORMAT is FORMAT1<newline>FORMAT2, then FORMAT1 applies to non-recent files and FORMAT2 to recent files. TIME_STYLE prefixed with 'posix-' takes effect only outside the POSIX locale. Also the TIME_STYLE environment variable sets the default style to use.
The WHEN argument defaults to 'always' and can also be 'auto' or 'never'.
Using color to distinguish file types is disabled both by default and with --color=never. With --color=auto, ls emits color codes only when standard output is connected to a terminal. The LS_COLORS environment variable can change the settings. Use the dircolors(1) command to set it.
Exit status:
- 0
if OK,
- 1
if minor problems (e.g., cannot access subdirectory),
- 2
if serious trouble (e.g., cannot access command-line argument).
AUTHOR
Written by Richard M. Stallman and David MacKenzie.
REPORTING BUGS
GNU coreutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/> Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>
SEE ALSO
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/dir> or available locally via: info '(coreutils) dir invocation'
Packaged by Debian (9.7-3) Copyright © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.