NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     cmp - compare two files

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     cmp [-l | -s] file1 file2 [skip1 [skip2]]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The cmp utility compares two files of any  type  and  writes
the results to
     the standard output.  By default, cmp is silent if the files
are the
     same; if they differ, the byte and line number at which  the
first difference
 occurred is reported.

     Bytes and lines are numbered beginning with one.

     The options are as follows:

     -l       Print  the  byte number (decimal) and the differing
byte values
             (octal) for each difference.

     -s      Print nothing for differing files; return exit  status only.

     The  optional arguments skip1 and skip2 are the byte offsets
from the beginning
 of file1 and file2, respectively, where the comparison will begin.
  The offset is decimal by default, but may be expressed
as a hexadecimal
 or octal value  by  preceding  it  with  a  leading
``0x'' or ``0''.

     The cmp utility exits with one of the following values:

     0     The files are identical.

     1      The files are different; this includes the case where
one file is
           identical to the first part of the other.  In the latter case, if
           the  -s  option  has not been specified, cmp writes to
standard error
           that EOF was reached in the shorter file  (before  any
differences
           were found).

     >1    An error occurred.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     diff(1), diff3(1)

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The   cmp   utility  is  expected  to  be  IEEE  Std  1003.2
(``POSIX.2'') compatible.

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     A cmp command appeared in Version 1 AT&T UNIX.

OpenBSD      3.6                           June      6,      1993