---
name: "bits"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "util-linux"
version: "2.42.4-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bits"
---

# bits(1)

convert bit masks or lists from/to various formats

## NAME

bits - convert bit masks or lists from/to various formats

## SYNOPSIS

**bits** \[**-h**\] \[**-V**\] \[**-w** *number*\] \[*mode*\] \[*mask*\|*list*\]...

## DESCRIPTION

The **bits** utility converts between bit masks and bit lists. It supports combining multiple masks or lists using bitwise operations.

## POSITIONAL ARGUMENTS

*mask*

A set of bits specified as a hexadecimal mask value (for example: **0xeec2**).

*list*

A set of bits specified as a comma-separated list of bit IDs (for example: **1,5,29,32**).

If no argument is specified, the sets of bits will be read from standard input, one group per line.

Consecutive IDs can be compressed as ranges (for example: **5,6,7,8,9,10** → **5-10**).

Optionally, if an argument starts with a comma, it will be parsed as a single hexadecimal mask split in 32-bit groups (for example: **,00014000,00000000,00020000** → **17,78,80**).

By default, all groups will be OR’ed together. If a group has one of the prefixes **&**, **^**, or **~**, it will be combined with the resulting mask using a different binary operation:

**&***mask*\|**&***list*

The group will be combined with a binary AND operation. That is: all bits that are set to 1 in the group AND in the combined groups so far will be preserved as 1. All other bits will be reset to 0.

**^***mask*\|**^***list*

The group will be combined with a binary XOR operation. That is: all bits that are set to 1 in the group AND to 0 in the combined groups so far (or the other way around) will be set to 1. Bits that are set both to 1 or both to 0 will be reset to 0.

**~***mask*\|**~***list*

All bits set to 1 in the group will be cleared (reset to 0) in the combined groups so far.

## OPTIONS

- **-w** *number*, **--width** *number*

  The maximum number of bits in the masks handled by **bits**. The default is **8192**. Any bit larger than this number will be truncated.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Display help text and exit.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Display version and exit.

## CONVERSION MODE

One of the following conversion modes can be specified. If not specified, it defaults to **-m**, **--mask**.

**-b**, **--binary**

Print the combined arguments as a binary mask value.

**-g**, **--grouped-mask**

Print the combined arguments as a hexadecimal mask value in 32-bit comma-separated groups.

**-l**, **--list**

Print the combined arguments as a list of bit IDs. Consecutive IDs are compressed to ranges.

**-m**, **--mask**

Print the combined arguments as a hexadecimal mask value (default).

## EXAMPLES

```
~$ bits --mask 4,5-8 16,30
0x400101f0
~$ bits --list 0xeec2
1,6,7,9-11,13-15
~$ bits --binary 4,5-8 16,30
0b100_0000_0000_0001_0000_0001_1111_0000
~$ bits --list ,00300000,03000000,30000003
0,1,28,29,56,57,84,85
~$ bits --list 1,2,3,4 ~3-10
1,2
~$ bits --list 1,2,3,4 ^3-10
1,2,5-10
~$ bits --grouped-mask 2,22,74,79
8400,00000000,00400004
~$ bits --width 64 --list 2,22,74,79
2,22
```

## AUTHORS

Robin Jarry.

## REPORTING BUGS

For bug reports, use the *issue tracker* \<https://github.com/util-linux/util-linux/issues\>.

## AVAILABILITY

The **bits** command is part of the util-linux package which can be downloaded from *Linux Kernel Archive* \<https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/\>.