---
name: "poke"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "poke"
version: "4.3-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/poke"
---

# poke(1)

The GNU extensible binary editor

## NAME

poke - The GNU extensible binary editor

## SYNOPSIS

**poke** \[*OPTION*\]... \[*FILE*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Interactive editor for binary files.

- **-l**, **--load**=*FILE*

  load the given pickle at startup

- **-L** FILE

  load the given pickle and exit

### Commanding poke from the command line:

- **-c**, **--command**=*CMD*

  execute the given command

- **-s**, **--source**=*FILE*

  execute commands from FILE

### Styling text output:

**--color=**(yes\|no\|auto\|html\|test) emit styled output

- **--style**=*STYLE\_FILE*

  style file to use when styling

- **--style-dark**

  use default style for dark backgrounds

- **--style-bright**

  use default style for bright backgrounds

- **-q**, **--no-init-file**

  do not load an init file

- **--no-auto-map**

  disable auto-map

- **--no-hserver**

  do not run the hyperlinks server

- **--no-stdtypes**

  do not define standard types

- **--quiet**

  be as terse as possible

- **--help**

  print a help message and exit

- **--version**

  show version and exit

The following environment variables, if set, are used by poke:

- POKE\_LOAD\_PATH

  List of file paths separated by colon characters (:) which is prepended to the load\_path when poke starts

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs in the bug tracker at

-

  \<https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/describecomponents.cgi?product=poke\> or by email to \<poke-devel@gnu.org\>.

GNU poke home page: \<http://www.jemarch.net/poke.html\>\
 General help using GNU software: \<http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2024 The poke authors. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later.\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Powered by Jitter 0.7.312. Perpetrated by Jose E. Marchesi.

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **poke** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **poke** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info poke**

should give you access to the complete manual.