--- name: "color-ls" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "color-ls" version: "3.12-3" release: "Debian 1.1 (Buzz)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/color-ls" --- # color-ls(1) list contents of directories ## SPECIAL NOTE This is the manpage for the colorized **ls** command. The Debian color-ls package has installed the colorized ls under the name **color-ls .** All of the options listed apply when invoking the **color-ls** command. Unless the commands **ls ,** **dir ,** and **vdir** are aliased to the **color-ls** binary, they will invoke the monochrome versions of these commands. Please see **/usr/doc/color-ls/color-ls.README** for help and further information. ## NAME ls, dir, vdir - list contents of directories ## SYNOPSIS **ls** \[-abcdefgiklmnopqrstuxABCFGLNQRSUX178\] \[-w cols\] \[-T cols\] \[-I pattern\] \[--all\] \[--escape\] \[--directory\] \[--inode\] \[--kilobytes\] \[--numeric-uid-gid\] \[--no-group\] \[--hide-control-chars\] \[--reverse\] \[--size\] \[--width=cols\] \[--tabsize=cols\] \[--almost-all\] \[--ignore-backups\] \[--classify\] \[--file-type\] \[--full-time\] \[--ignore=pattern\] \[--dereference\] \[--literal\] \[--quote-name\] \[--recursive\] \[--sort={none,time,size,extension}\] \[--format={long,verbose,commas,across,vertical,single-column}\] \[--time={atime,access,use,ctime,status}\] \[--color\[={yes,no,tty}\]\] \[--colour\[={yes,no,tty}\]\] \[--7bit\] \[--8bit\] \[--help\] \[--version\] \[name...\] ## DESCRIPTION This manual page documents the GNU version of **ls**, with color extensions. **dir** and **vdir** are versions of **ls** with different default output formats. These programs list each given file or directory name. Directory contents are sorted alphabetically. For **ls**, files are by default listed in columns, sorted vertically, if the standard output is a terminal; otherwise they are listed one per line. For **dir**, files are by default listed in columns, sorted vertically. For **vdir**, files are by default listed in long format. ### OPTIONS - *-a, --all* List all files in directories, including all files that start with \`.'. - *-b, --escape* Quote nongraphic characters in file names using alphabetic and octal backslash sequences like those used in C. - *-c, --time=ctime, --time=status* Sort directory contents according to the files' status change time instead of the modification time. If the long listing format is being used, print the status change time instead of the modification time. - *-d, --directory* List directories like other files, rather than listing their contents. - *-e, --full-time* List times in full, rather than using the standard abbreviation heuristics. - *-f* Do not sort directory contents; list them in whatever order they are stored on the disk. The same as enabling *-a* and *-U* and disabling *-l,* *-o,* *-s,* and *-t.* - *-g* Ignored; for Unix compatibility. - *-i, --inode* Print the index number of each file to the left of the file name. - *-k, --kilobytes* If file sizes are being listed, print them in kilobytes. This overrides the environment variable **POSIXLY\_CORRECT**. - *-l, --format=long, --format=verbose* In addition to the name of each file, print the file type, permissions, number of hard links, owner name, group name, size in bytes, and timestamp (the modification time unless other times are selected). For files with a time that is more than 6 months old or more than 1 hour into the future, the timestamp contains the year instead of the time of day. - *-m, --format=commas* List files horizontally, with as many as will fit on each line, separated by commas. - *-n, --numeric-uid-gid* List the numeric UID and GID instead of the names. - *-o, --color, --colour, --color=yes, --colour=yes* Colorize the names of files depending on the type of file. See \`DISPLAY COLORIZATION' below. Note that *-o* unlike *--color* is a toggle. - *-p* Append a character to each file name indicating the file type. - *-q, --hide-control-chars* Print question marks instead of nongraphic characters in file names. - *-r, --reverse* Sort directory contents in reverse order. - *-s, --size* Print the size of each file in 1K blocks to the left of the file name. If the environment variable **POSIXLY\_CORRECT** is set, 512-byte blocks are used instead. - *-t, --sort=time* Sort directory contents by timestamp instead of alphabetically, with the newest files listed first. - *-u, --time=atime, --time=access, --time=use* Sort directory contents according to the files' last access time instead of the modification time. If the long listing format is being used, print the last access time instead of the modification time. - *-x, --format=across, --format=horizontal* List the files in columns, sorted horizontally. - *-A, --almost-all* List all files in directories, except for \`.' and \`..'. - *-B, --ignore-backups* Do not list files that end with \`~', unless they are given on the command line. - *-C, --format=vertical* List files in columns, sorted vertically. - *-F, --classify* Append a character to each file name indicating the file type. For regular files that are executable, append a \`\*'. The file type indicators are \`/' for directories, \`@' for symbolic links, \`\|' for FIFOs, \`=' for sockets, and nothing for regular files. - *-G, --no-group* Inhibit display of group information in a long format directory listing. - *-L, --dereference* List the files linked to by symbolic links instead of listing the contents of the links. - *-N, --literal* Do not quote file names. - *-Q, --quote-name* Enclose file names in double quotes and quote nongraphic characters as in C. - *-R, --recursive* List the contents of all directories recursively. - *-S, --sort=size* Sort directory contents by file size instead of alphabetically, with the largest files listed first. - *-U, --sort=none* Do not sort directory contents; list them in whatever order they are stored on the disk. This option is not called *-f* because the Unix **ls** *-f* option also enables *-a* and disables *-l*, *-s*, and *-t*. It seems useless and ugly to group those unrelated things together in one option. Since this option doesn't do that, it has a different name. - *-X, --sort=extension* Sort directory contents alphabetically by file extension (characters after the last \`.'); files with no extension are sorted first. - *-1, --format=single-column* List one file per line. - *-7, --7bit* Treat all character outside the ASCII (ISO 646) set (0x20-0x7E) as nonprintable control characters. - *-8, --8bit* Treat all characters from the 8-bit ISO 8859 character sets (0x20-0x7E, 0xA1-0xFF) as printable. This includes ASCII as a subset. This is the default unless overridden at compile time. - *-w, --width cols* Assume the screen is *cols* columns wide. The default is taken from the terminal driver if possible; otherwise the environment variable **COLUMNS** is used if it is set; otherwise the default is 80. - *-T, --tabsize cols* Assume that each tabstop is *cols* columns wide. The default is 8, or whatever the **TABSIZE** environment variable says. Setting the tabsize to 0 disables the use of tab characters completely. - *-I, --ignore pattern* Do not list files whose names match the shell pattern *pattern* unless they are given on the command line. As in the shell, an initial \`.' in a filename does not match a wildcard at the start of *pattern.* - *--color=tty, --colour=tty* Same as *-o* but only if standard output is a terminal. This is very useful for shell scripts and command aliases, especially if your favorite pager does not support color control codes. - *--color=no, --colour=no* Disables colorization. This is the default. Provided to override a previous color option. - *--help* Print a usage message on standard output and exit successfully. - *--version* Print version information on standard output then exit successfully. ### DISPLAY COLORIZATION When using the *-o* or *--color* options, this version of **ls** will colorize the file names printed according to the name and type of file. By default, this colorization is by type only, and the codes used are ISO 6429 (ANSI) compliant. You can override the default colors by defining the environment variable **LS\_COLORS** (or **LS\_COLOURS**). The format of this variable is reminicent of the [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md) file format; a colon-separated list of expressions of the form "xx=string", where "xx" is a two-character variable name. The variables with their associated defaults are: ``` no 0 Normal (non-filename) text fi 0 Regular file di 32 Directory ln 36 Symbolic link pi 31 Named pipe (FIFO) so 33 Socket bd 44;37 Block device cd 44;37 Character device ex 35 Executable file mi (none) Missing file (defaults to fi) or (none) Orphanned symbolic link (defaults to ln) lc \e[ Left code rc m Right code ec (none) End code (replaces lc+no+rc) ``` You only need to include the variables you want to change from the default. File names can also be colorized based on filename extension. This is specified in the LS\_COLORS variable using the syntax "\*ext=string". For example, using ISO 6429 codes, to color all C-language source files blue you would specify "\*.c=34". This would color all files ending in .c in blue (34) color. Control characters can be written either in C-style \\-escaped notation, or in **stty**-like ^-notation. The C-style notation adds \\e for Escape, \\\_ for a normal space characer, and \\? for Delete. In addition, the \\ escape character can be used to override the default interpretation of \\, ^, : and =. Each file will be written as \ \ \ \ \. If the \ code is undefined, the sequence \ \ \ will be used instead. This is generally more convenient to use, but less general. The left, right and end codes are provided so you don't have to type common parts over and over again and to support weird terminals; you will generally not need to change them at all unless your terminal does not use ISO 6429 color sequences but a different system. If your terminal does use ISO 6429 color codes, you can compose the type codes (i.e. all except the **lc**, **rc**, and **ec** codes) from numerical commands separated by semicolons. The most common commands are: ``` 0 to restore default color 1 for brighter colors 4 for underlined text 5 for flashing text 30 for black foreground 31 for red foreground 32 for green foreground 33 for yellow (or brown) foreground 34 for blue foreground 35 for purple foreground 36 for cyan foreground 37 for white (or gray) foreground 40 for black background 41 for red background 42 for green background 43 for yellow (or brown) background 44 for blue background 45 for purple background 46 for cyan background 47 for white (or gray) background ``` Not all commands will work on all systems or display devices. A few terminal programs do not recognize the default end code properly. If all text gets colorized after you do a directory listing, try changing the **no** and **fi** codes from 0 to the numerical codes for your standard fore- and background colors. ## BUGS On BSD systems, the *-s* option reports sizes that are half the correct values for files that are NFS-mounted from HP-UX systems. On HP-UX systems, it reports sizes that are twice the correct values for files that are NFS-mounted from BSD systems. This is due to a flaw in HP-UX; it also affects the HP-UX **ls** program. Character set selection should be more system independent. Using the colorization options disables the use of the tab character for column spacing unless the *-T* option is used; apparently some systems do not like tabs and color codes in conjunction. If there was a single standard for the English language it would not be necessary to support redundant spellings.