STRINGS(1) GNU Development Tools STRINGS(1)

STRINGS(1) GNU Development Tools STRINGS(1) #

STRINGS(1) GNU Development Tools STRINGS(1)

NNAAMMEE #

 strings - print the strings of printable characters in files.

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS #

 strings [--aaffoovv] [--_m_i_n_-_l_e_n]
         [--nn _m_i_n_-_l_e_n] [----bbyytteess==_m_i_n_-_l_e_n]
         [--tt _r_a_d_i_x] [----rraaddiixx==_r_a_d_i_x]
         [--ee _e_n_c_o_d_i_n_g] [----eennccooddiinngg==_e_n_c_o_d_i_n_g]
         [--] [----aallll] [----pprriinntt--ffiillee--nnaammee]
         [----ttaarrggeett==_b_f_d_n_a_m_e]
         [----hheellpp] [----vveerrssiioonn] _f_i_l_e...

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN #

 For each _f_i_l_e given, GNU ssttrriinnggss prints the printable character sequences
 that are at least 4 characters long (or the number given with the options
 below) and are followed by an unprintable character.  By default, it only
 prints the strings from the initialized and loaded sections of object
 files; for other types of files, it prints the strings from the whole
 file.

 ssttrriinnggss is mainly useful for determining the contents of non-text files.

OOPPTTIIOONNSS #

 --aa
 ----aallll
 --   Do not scan only the initialized and loaded sections of object files;
     scan the whole files.

 --ff
 ----pprriinntt--ffiillee--nnaammee
     Print the name of the file before each string.

 ----hheellpp
     Print a summary of the program usage on the standard output and exit.

 --_m_i_n_-_l_e_n
 --nn _m_i_n_-_l_e_n
 ----bbyytteess==_m_i_n_-_l_e_n
     Print sequences of characters that are at least _m_i_n_-_l_e_n characters
     long, instead of the default 4.

 --oo  Like --tt oo.  Some other versions of ssttrriinnggss have --oo act like --tt dd
     instead.  Since we can not be compatible with both ways, we simply
     chose one.

 --tt _r_a_d_i_x
 ----rraaddiixx==_r_a_d_i_x
     Print the offset within the file before each string.  The single
     character argument specifies the radix of the offset---oo for octal, xx
     for hexadecimal, or dd for decimal.

 --ee _e_n_c_o_d_i_n_g
 ----eennccooddiinngg==_e_n_c_o_d_i_n_g
     Select the character encoding of the strings that are to be found.
     Possible values for _e_n_c_o_d_i_n_g are: ss = single-7-bit-byte characters
     (ASCII, ISO 8859, etc., default), SS = single-8-bit-byte characters, bb
     = 16-bit bigendian, ll = 16-bit littleendian, BB = 32-bit bigendian, LL
     = 32-bit littleendian. Useful for finding wide character strings.

 ----ttaarrggeett==_b_f_d_n_a_m_e
     Specify an object code format other than your system's default
     format.

 --vv
 ----vveerrssiioonn
     Print the program version number on the standard output and exit.

 @@_f_i_l_e
     Read command-line options from _f_i_l_e.  The options read are inserted
     in place of the original @_f_i_l_e option.  If _f_i_l_e does not exist, or
     cannot be read, then the option will be treated literally, and not
     removed.

     Options in _f_i_l_e are separated by whitespace.  A whitespace character
     may be included in an option by surrounding the entire option in
     either single or double quotes.  Any character (including a
     backslash) may be included by prefixing the character to be included
     with a backslash.  The _f_i_l_e may itself contain additional @_f_i_l_e
     options; any such options will be processed recursively.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO #

 aarr(1), nnmm(1), oobbjjdduummpp(1), rraannlliibb(1), rreeaaddeellff(1) and the Info entries for
 _b_i_n_u_t_i_l_s.

CCOOPPYYRRIIGGHHTT #

 Copyright (c) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000,
 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any
 later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
 Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
 Texts.  A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
 Free Documentation License".

binutils-2.17 2024-03-20 STRINGS(1)