---
name: "shtool-subst"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "shtool"
version: "2.0.8-10"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/shtool-subst"
---

# shtool-subst(1)

GNU shtool sed(1) substitution operations

## NAME

shtool-subst - GNU shtool [sed(1)](/sed/1.md) substitution operations

## SYNOPSIS

**shtool subst** \[**-v**\|**--verbose**\] \[**-t**\|**--trace**\] \[**-n**\|**--nop**\] \[**-w**\|**--warning**\] \[**-q**\|**--quiet**\] \[**-s**\|**--stealth**\] \[**-i**\|**--interactive**\] \[**-b**\|**--backup** *ext*\] \[**-e**\|**--exec** *cmd*\] \[**-f**\|**--file** *cmd-file*\] \[*file*\] \[*file* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

This command applies one or more [**sed**(1)](/sed/1.md) substitution operations to *stdin* or any number of files.

## OPTIONS

The following command line options are available.

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Display some processing information.

- **-t**, **--trace**

  Enable the output of the essential shell commands which are executed.

- **-n**, **--nop**

  No operation mode. Actual execution of the essential shell commands which would be executed is suppressed.

- **-w**, **--warning**

  Show warning on substitution operation resulting in no content change on *every* file. The default is to show a warning on substitution operations resulted in no content change on *all* files.

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Suppress warning on substitution operation resulting in no content change.

- **-s**, **--stealth**

  Stealth operation. Preserve timestamp on *file*.

- **-i**, **--interactive**

  Enter interactive mode where the user has to approve each operation.

- **-b**, **--backup** *ext*

  Preserve backup of original file using file name extension *ext*. Default is to overwrite the original file.

- **-e**, **--exec** *cmd*

  Specify [**sed**(1)](/sed/1.md) command directly.

- **-f**, **--file** *cmd-file*

  Read [**sed**(1)](/sed/1.md) command from *file*.

## EXAMPLE

```
 #   shell script
 shtool subst -i -e 's;(c) \([0-9]*\)-2000;(c) \1-2001;' *.[ch]
 #    RPM spec-file
 %install
     shtool subst -v -n \
         -e 's;^\(prefix=\).*;\1 $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_prefix};g' \
         -e 's;^\(sysconfdir=\).*;\1 $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_prefix}/etc;g' \
         `find . -name Makefile -print`
     make install
```

## HISTORY

The **GNU shtool** **subst** command was originally written by Ralf S. Engelschall \<rse@engelschall.com\> in 2001 for **GNU shtool**. It was prompted by the need to have a uniform and convenient patching frontend to [**sed**(1)](/sed/1.md) operations in the **OpenPKG** package specifications.

## SEE ALSO

[**shtool**(1)](/shtool/1.md), [**sed**(1)](/sed/1.md).