---
name: "getextattr"
section: "8"
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/getextattr"
---

# getextattr(8)

manipulate extended attributes

## NAME

**getextattr**, **lsextattr**, **rmextattr**, **setextattr** – manipulate extended attributes

## SYNOPSIS

**getextattr** \[**-fhqsx**\] *attrnamespace* *attrname* *filename* *...*

**lsextattr** \[**-fhq**\] *attrnamespace* *filename* *...*

**rmextattr** \[**-fhq**\] *attrnamespace* *attrname* *filename* *...*

**setextattr** \[**-fhnq**\] *attrnamespace* *attrname* *attrvalue* *filename* *...*

**setextattr** **-i** \[**-fhnq**\] *attrnamespace* *attrname* *filename* *...*

## DESCRIPTION

These utilities are user tools to manipulate the named extended attributes on files and directories. The *attrnamespace* argument should be the namespace of the attribute to retrieve: legal values are **user** and **system**. The *attrname* argument should be the name of the attribute, *filename* the name of the target file or directory, *attrvalue* a string to store in the attribute.

The following options are available:

- **-f**

  (Force.) Ignore errors on individual filenames and continue with the remaining arguments.

- **-h**

  (No follow.) If the file is a symbolic link, perform the operation on the link itself rather than the file that the link points to.

- **-i**

  (From stdin.) Read attribute data from stdin instead of as an argument.

- **-n**

  (NUL -terminate.)NUL -terminate the extent content written out.

- **-q**

  (Quiet.) Do not print out the pathname and suppress error messages. When given twice, print only the attribute value, with no trailing newline.

- **-s**

  (Stringify.) Escape nonprinting characters and put quotes around the output.

- **-x**

  (Hex.) Print the output in hexadecimal.

## EXAMPLES

```
setextattr system md5 `md5 -q /boot/kernel/kernel` /boot/kernel/kernel
md5 -q /boot/kernel/kernel | setextattr -i system md5 /boot/kernel/kernel
getextattr system md5 /boot/kernel/kernel
getextattr -qq system md5 /boot/kernel/kernel | od -x
lsextattr system /boot/kernel/kernel
rmextattr system md5 /boot/kernel/kernel
```

## SEE ALSO

[extattr(2)](/extattr/2.md), [extattr(3)](/extattr/3.md), [extattrctl(8)](/extattrctl/8.md), [extattr(9)](/extattr/9.md)

## HISTORY

Extended attribute support was developed as part of the TrustedBSD Project, and introduced in FreeBSD 5.0. It was developed to support security extensions requiring additional labels to be associated with each file or directory.

## AUTHORS

Robert N M Watson Poul-Henning Kamp