# LS

Section: User Commands (1)

## NAME

ls - list directory contents

## SYNOPSIS

ls [OPTION]... [FILE]...

## DESCRIPTION

List information about the FILEs (the current directory by default). Sort entries alphabetically if none of -cftuSUX nor --sort.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

-a, --all
-A, --almost-all
  do not list implied . and ..
-b, --escape
  print octal escapes for nongraphic characters
--block-size=SIZE
  use SIZE-byte blocks
-B, --ignore-backups
  do not list implied entries ending with ~
-c
  with -lt: sort by, and show, ctime (time of last modification of file status information) with -l: show ctime and sort by name otherwise: sort by ctime
-C
  list entries by columns
--color[=WHEN]
  control whether color is used to distinguish file types. WHEN may be `never', `always', or `auto'
-d, --directory
  list directory entries instead of contents
-D, --dired
  generate output designed for Emacs' dired mode
-f
  do not sort, enable -aU, disable -lst
-F, --classify
  append indicator (one of */=@|) to entries
--format=WORD
  across -x, commas -m, horizontal -x, long -l, single-column -1, verbose -l, vertical -C
--full-time
  like -l --time-style=full-iso like -l, but do not list owner
-G, --no-group
  inhibit display of group information
-h, --human-readable
  print sizes in human readable format (e.g., 1K 234M 2G)
--si
  likewise, but use powers of 1000 not 1024
-H, --dereference-command-line
  follow symbolic links on the command line
--indicator-style=WORD append indicator with style WORD to entry names:
  none (default), classify (-F), file-type (-p)
-i, --inode
  print index number of each file
-I, --ignore=PATTERN
  do not list implied entries matching shell PATTERN
-k
  like --block-size=1K
-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 UIDs and GIDs
-N, --literal
  print raw entry names (don't treat e.g. control characters specially)
-o
  like -l, but do not list group information
-p, --file-type
-q, --hide-control-chars
  print ? instead of non graphic characters
--show-control-chars
  show non graphic characters as-is (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, c, escape
-r, --reverse
  reverse order while sorting
-R, --recursive
  list subdirectories recursively
-s, --size
  print size of each file, in blocks
-S
  sort by file size
--sort=WORD
  extension -X, none -U, size -S, time -t, version -v
  status -c, time -t, atime -u, access -u, use -u
--time=WORD
  show time as WORD instead of modification time: atime, access, use, ctime or status; use specified time as sort key if --sort=time
--time-style=WORD
  show times using style WORD: full-iso, iso, locale, posix-iso
-t
  sort by modification time
-T, --tabsize=COLS
-u
  with -lt: sort by, and show, access time with -l: show access time and sort by name otherwise: sort by access time
-U
  do not sort; list entries in directory order
-v
  sort by version
-w, --width=COLS
  assume screen width instead of current value
-x
  list entries by lines instead of by columns
-X
  sort alphabetically by entry extension
-1
  list one file per line
--help
  display this help and exit
--version
  output version information and exit

SIZE may be (or may be an integer optionally followed by) one of following: kB 1000, K 1024, MB 1,000,000, M 1,048,576, and so on for G, T, P, E, Z, Y.

By default, color is not used to distinguish types of files. That is equivalent to using --color=none. Using the --color option without the optional WHEN argument is equivalent to using --color=always. With --color=auto, color codes are output only if standard output is connected to a terminal (tty).

## AUTHOR

Written by Richard Stallman and David MacKenzie.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to <bug-fileutils@gnu.org>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
The full documentation for ls is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and ls programs are properly installed at your site, the command

  info ls

should give you access to the complete manual.