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Documentation Explaining the Output of ls Command

Sorry for the very basic question, but I didn't find anything in either man or info that explains the exact meaning of the output of ls, particularly ls -l.

Can someone tell me please where this documentation is to be found?

TIA,

Lost Johnny

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostjohnny (Post 3169384)

Try "info ls" instad of "man ls". The info page is much more complete. ;)

Here's what the info page says

Code:

`-l'

`--format=long'

`--format=verbose'

    In addition to the name of each file, print the file type, file

    mode bits, number of hard links, owner name, group name, size, and

    timestamp (*Note Formatting file timestamps::), normally the

    modification time.  Print question marks for information that

    cannot be determined.



    Normally the size is printed as a byte count without punctuation,

    but this can be overridden (*Note Block size::).  For example, `-h'

    prints an abbreviated, human-readable count, and

    `--block-size="'1"' prints a byte count with the thousands

    separator of the current locale.



    For each directory that is listed, preface the files with a line

    `total BLOCKS', where BLOCKS is the total disk allocation for all

    files in that directory.  The block size currently defaults to 1024

    bytes, but this can be overridden (*Note Block size::).  The

    BLOCKS computed counts each hard link separately; this is arguably

    a deficiency.



    The file type is one of the following characters:



    `-'

          regular file



    `b'

          block special file



    `c'

          character special file



    `C'

          high performance ("contiguous data") file



    `d'

          directory



    `D'

          door (Solaris 2.5 and up)



    `l'

          symbolic link



    `M'

          off-line ("migrated") file (Cray DMF)



    `n'

          network special file (HP-UX)



    `p'

          FIFO (named pipe)



    `P'

          port (Solaris 10 and up)



    `s'

          socket



    `?'

          some other file type



    The file mode bits listed are similar to symbolic mode

    specifications (*Note Symbolic Modes::).  But `ls' combines

    multiple bits into the third character of each set of permissions

    as follows:



    `s'

          If the set-user-ID or set-group-ID bit and the corresponding

          executable bit are both set.



    `S'

          If the set-user-ID or set-group-ID bit is set but the

          corresponding executable bit is not set.



    `t'

          If the restricted deletion flag or sticky bit, and the

          other-executable bit, are both set.  The restricted deletion

          flag is another name for the sticky bit.  *Note Mode

          Structure::.



    `T'

          If the restricted deletion flag or sticky bit is set but the

          other-executable bit is not set.



    `x'

          If the executable bit is set and none of the above apply.



    `-'

          Otherwise.



    Following the file mode bits is a single character that specifies

    whether an alternate access method such as an access control list

    applies to the file.  When the character following the file mode

    bits is a space, there is no alternate access method.  When it is

    a printing character, then there is such a method.



    For a file with an extended access control list, a `+' character is

    listed.  Basic access control lists are equivalent to the

    permissions listed, and are not considered an alternate access

    method.

Thanks guys.

Stefan, your reply gives me the information I was originally looking for. However, I was still unable to find this information for myself, because when I use "info ls" and go down to "* What information is listed::" on my system (Fedora Core 6), what it says for the '-l' option is different to what you have posted - it doesn't tell me about the file type characters (output below). Has the info file been improved since the version distributed with FC6?

Code:

`-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,

    and timestamp (*note Formatting file timestamps::), normally the

    modification time.



    Normally the size is printed as a byte count without punctuation,

    but this can be overridden (*note Block size::).  For example, `-h'

    prints an abbreviated, human-readable count, and

    `--block-size="'1"' prints a byte count with the thousands

    separator of the current locale.



    For each directory that is listed, preface the files with a line

    `total BLOCKS', where BLOCKS is the total disk allocation for all

    files in that directory.  The block size currently defaults to 1024

    bytes, but this can be overridden (*note Block size::).  The

    BLOCKS computed counts each hard link separately; this is arguably

    a deficiency.



    The permissions listed are similar to symbolic mode specifications

    (*note Symbolic Modes::).  But `ls' combines multiple bits into the

    third character of each set of permissions as follows:

    `s'

          If the setuid or setgid bit and the corresponding executable

          bit are both set.



    `S'

          If the setuid or setgid bit is set but the corresponding

          executable bit is not set.



    `t'

          If the sticky bit and the other-executable bit are both set.



    `T'

          If the sticky bit is set but the other-executable bit is not

          set.



    `x'

          If the executable bit is set and none of the above apply.



    `-'

          Otherwise.



    Following the permission bits is a single character that specifies

    whether an alternate access method applies to the file.  When that

    character is a space, there is no alternate access method.  When it

    is a printing character (e.g., `+'), then there is such a method.