---
name: "ckdist"
section: "1"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ckdist"
---

# ckdist(1)

check software distributions

## NAME

**ckdist** – check software distributions

## SYNOPSIS

**ckdist** \[**-airsx**\] \[**-d** *dir*\] \[**-n** *name*\] \[**-t** *type*\] *file ...*

## DESCRIPTION

The **ckdist** utility reads “checksum” files (which are assumed to specify components of a software distribution) and verifies the integrity of the distribution by validating the checksum of each component file. Both MD5 (128-bit “message digest”) and *.inf* (32-bit CRC) checksum formats are supported.

The *file* operands may refer to regular files or to directories. Regular files named *md5*, or which have an *.md5* or an *.inf* extension, are assumed to be of the implied type, otherwise format is determined from content. If a directory is specified, it is searched for appropriately-named files only.

The options are as follows:

- **-a**

  Report on all distribution components, not just those in respect of which errors are detected.

- **-i**

  Ignore missing distribution components.

- **-r**

  Search specified directories recursively.

- **-s**

  Suppress complaints about inaccessible checksum files and directories.

- **-x**

  Verify the existence of distribution components (and also check sizes, in the case of *.inf* files), but omit the more time-consuming step of actually computing and comparing checksums.

- **-d** *dir*

  Look for distribution components in the directory *dir*.

- **-n** *name*

  Access distribution components using the filename *name*. When accessing *.inf* file components, append the appropriate extension to the filename.

- **-t** *type*

  Assume that all specified checksum files are of the format *type*, and search directories only for files in this format (where *type* is either **md5** or **inf**).

## EXIT STATUS

The **ckdist** utility exits with one of the following values:

- 0

  No errors were detected.

- 1

  Errors were found in a distribution.

- 2

  Usage errors, inaccessible input files, or other system errors were encountered.

## SEE ALSO

[cksum(1)](/cksum/1.md), [md5(1)](/md5/1.md)

## NOTES

Both BSD and DOS versions of **ckdist** are available.