| CMP(1) | CMP(1)

NAME

| cmp – compare two files

SYNOPSIS

| `cmp` [ `−lsL` ] file1 file2 [ offset1 [ offset2 ] ]

DESCRIPTION

The two files are compared. A diagnostic results if the contents differ, otherwise there is no output.

The options are:
`l` Print the byte number (decimal) and the differing bytes (hexadecimal) for each difference.
`s` Print nothing for differing files, but set the exit status.
`L` Print the line number of the first differing byte.

If offsets are given, comparison starts at the designated byte position of the corresponding file. Offsets that begin with `0x` are hexadecimal; with `0`, octal; with anything else, decimal.

SOURCE

| `/usr/local/plan9/src/cmd/cmp.c`

SEE ALSO

| diff(1)

DIAGNOSTICS

| If a file is inaccessible or missing, the exit status is `open`. If the files are the same, the exit status is empty (true). If they are the same except that one is longer than the other, the exit status is `EOF`. Otherwise cmp reports the position of the first disagreeing byte and the exit status is `differ`.