---
name: "suffixes"
section: "7"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-pages"
version: "6.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/suffixes"
---

# suffixes(7)

list of file suffixes

## NAME

suffixes - list of file suffixes

## DESCRIPTION

It is customary to indicate the contents of a file with the file suffix, which (typically) consists of a period, followed by one or more letters. Many standard utilities, such as compilers, use this to recognize the type of file they are dealing with. The [**make**(1)](/make/1.md) utility is driven by rules based on file suffix.

Following is a list of suffixes which are likely to be found on a Linux system.

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Suffix | File type |
|
| *-* | backup file |
| *.C* | C++ source code, equivalent to *.cc* |
| *.F* | Fortran source with [**cpp**(1)](/cpp/1.md) directives |
|  | or file compressed using freeze |
| *.S* | assembler source with [**cpp**(1)](/cpp/1.md) directives |
| *.Y* | file compressed using yabba |
| *.Z* | file compressed using [**compress**(1)](/compress/1.md) |
| *.\[0-9\]+gf* | TeX generic font files |
| *.\[0-9\]+pk* | TeX packed font files |
| *.\[1-9\]* | manual page for the corresponding section |
| *.\[1-9\]\[a-z\]* | manual page for section plus subsection |
| *.a* | static object code library |
| *.ad* | X application default resource file |
| *.ada* | Ada source (may be body, spec, or combination) |
| *.adb* | Ada body source |
| *.ads* | Ada spec source |
| *.afm* | PostScript font metrics |
| *.al* | Perl autoload file |
| *.am* | [**automake**(1)](/automake/1.md) input file |
| *.arc* | [**arc**(1)](/arc/1.md) archive |
| *.arj* | [**arj**(1)](/arj/1.md) archive |
| *.asc* | OpenPGP ASCII-armored data |
| *.asm* | (GNU) assembler source file |
| *.au* | Audio sound file |
| *.aux* | LaTeX auxiliary file |
| *.avi* | (msvideo) movie |
| *.awk* | AWK language program |
| *.b* | LILO boot loader image |
| *.bak* | backup file |
| *.bash* | [**bash**(1)](/bash/1.md) shell script |
| *.bb* | basic block list data produced by |
|  | gcc -ftest-coverage |
| *.bbg* | basic block graph data produced by |
|  | gcc -ftest-coverage |
| *.bbl* | BibTeX output |
| *.bdf* | X font file |
| *.bib* | TeX bibliographic database, BibTeX input |
| *.bm* | bitmap source |
| *.bmp* | bitmap |
| *.bz2* | file compressed using [**bzip2**(1)](/bzip2/1.md) |
| *.c* | C source |
| *.cat* | message catalog files |
| *.cc* | C++ source |
| *.cf* | configuration file |
| *.cfg* | configuration file |
| *.cgi* | WWW content generating script or program |
| *.cls* | LaTeX Class definition |
| *.class* | Java compiled byte-code |
| *.conf* | configuration file |
| *.config* | configuration file |
| *.cpp* | equivalent to *.cc* |
| *.csh* | [**csh**(1)](/csh/1.md) shell script |
| *.cxx* | equivalent to *.cc* |
| *.dat* | data file |
| *.deb* | Debian binary package ([**deb**(5)](/deb/5.md)) |
| *.def* | Modula-2 source for definition modules |
| *.def* | other definition files |
| *.desc* | initial part of mail message unpacked with |
|  | [**munpack**(1)](/munpack/1.md) |
| *.diff* | file differences ( [**diff**(1)](/diff/1.md) command output) |
| *.dir* | dbm data base directory file |
| *.doc* | documentation file |
| *.dsc* | Debian source package control file ([**dsc**(5)](/dsc/5.md)) |
| *.dtx* | LaTeX package source file |
| *.dvi* | TeX's device independent output |
| *.el* | Emacs-Lisp source |
| *.elc* | compiled Emacs-Lisp source |
| *.eps* | encapsulated PostScript |
| *.exp* | Expect source code |
| *.f* | Fortran source |
| *.f77* | Fortran 77 source |
| *.f90* | Fortran 90 source |
| *.fas* | precompiled Common-Lisp |
| *.fi* | Fortran include files |
| *.fig* | FIG image file (used by [**xfig**(1)](/xfig/1.md)) |
| *.fmt* | TeX format file |
| *.gif* | Compuserve Graphics Image File format |
| *.gmo* | GNU format message catalog |
| *.gsf* | Ghostscript fonts |
| *.gz* | file compressed using [**gzip**(1)](/gzip/1.md) |
| *.h* | C or C++ header files |
| *.help* | help file |
| *.hf* | equivalent to *.help* |
| *.hlp* | equivalent to *.help* |
| *.htm* | poor man's *.html* |
| *.html* | HTML document used with the World Wide Web |
| *.hqx* | 7-bit encoded Macintosh file |
| *.i* | C source after preprocessing |
| *.icon* | bitmap source |
| *.idx* | reference or datum-index file for hypertext |
|  | or database system |
| *.image* | bitmap source |
| *.in* | configuration template, especially for GNU Autoconf |
| *.info* | files for the Emacs info browser |
| *.info-\[0-9\]+* | split info files |
| *.ins* | LaTeX package install file for docstrip |
| *.itcl* | itcl source code; |
|  | itcl (\[incr Tcl\]) is an OO extension of tcl |
| *.java* | a Java source file |
| *.jpeg* | Joint Photographic Experts Group format |
| *.jpg* | poor man's *.jpeg* |
| *.js* | JavaScript source code |
| *.jsx* | JSX (JavaScript XML-like extension) source code |
| *.kmap* | [**lyx**(1)](/lyx/1.md) keymap |
| *.l* | equivalent to *.lex* or *.lisp* |
| *.lex* | [**lex**(1)](/lex/1.md) or [**flex**(1)](/flex/1.md) files |
| *.lha* | lharc archive |
| *.lib* | Common-Lisp library |
| *.lisp* | Lisp source |
| *.ln* | files for use with [**lint**(1)](/lint/1.md) |
| *.log* | log file, in particular produced by TeX |
| *.lsm* | Linux Software Map entry |
| *.lsp* | Common-Lisp source |
| *.lzh* | lharc archive |
| *.m* | Objective-C source code |
| *.m4* | [**m4**(1)](/m4/1.md) source |
| *.mac* | macro files for various programs |
| *.man* | manual page (usually source rather than formatted) |
| *.map* | map files for various programs |
| *.me* | Nroff source using the me macro package |
| *.mf* | Metafont (font generator for TeX) source |
| *.mgp* | MagicPoint file |
| *.mm* | sources for [**groff**(1)](/groff/1.md) in mm - format |
| *.mo* | Message catalog binary file |
| *.mod* | Modula-2 source for implementation modules |
| *.mov* | (quicktime) movie |
| *.mp* | Metapost source |
| *.mp2* | MPEG Layer 2 (audio) file |
| *.mp3* | MPEG Layer 3 (audio) file |
| *.mpeg* | movie file |
| *.o* | object file |
| *.old* | old or backup file |
| *.orig* | backup (original) version of a file, from [**patch**(1)](/patch/1.md) |
| *.out* | output file, often executable program (a.out) |
| *.p* | Pascal source |
| *.pag* | dbm data base data file |
| *.patch* | file differences for [**patch**(1)](/patch/1.md) |
| *.pbm* | portable bitmap format |
| *.pcf* | X11 font files |
| *.pdf* | Adobe Portable Data Format |
|  | (use Acrobat/**acroread** or **xpdf**) |
| *.perl* | Perl source (see .ph, .pl, and .pm) |
| *.pfa* | PostScript font definition files, ASCII format |
| *.pfb* | PostScript font definition files, binary format |
| *.pgm* | portable greymap format |
| *.pgp* | OpenPGP binary data |
| *.ph* | Perl header file |
| *.php* | PHP program file |
| *.php3* | PHP3 program file |
| *.pid* | File to store daemon PID (e.g., crond.pid) |
| *.pl* | TeX property list file or Perl library file |
| *.pm* | Perl module |
| *.png* | Portable Network Graphics file |
| *.po* | Message catalog source |
| *.pod* | [**perldoc**(1)](/perldoc/1.md) file |
| *.ppm* | portable pixmap format |
| *.pr* | bitmap source |
| *.ps* | PostScript file |
| *.py* | Python source |
| *.pyc* | compiled python |
| *.qt* | quicktime movie |
| *.r* | RATFOR source (obsolete) |
| *.rej* | patches that [**patch**(1)](/patch/1.md) couldn't apply |
| *.rpm* | RPM software package |
| *.rtf* | Rich Text Format file |
| *.rules* | rules for something |
| *.s* | assembler source |
| *.sa* | stub libraries for a.out shared libraries |
| *.sc* | [**sc**(1)](/sc/1.md) spreadsheet commands |
| *.scm* | Scheme source code |
| *.sed* | sed source file |
| *.sgml* | SGML source file |
| *.sh* | [**sh**(1)](/sh/1.md) scripts |
| *.shar* | archive created by the [**shar**(1)](/shar/1.md) utility |
| *.shtml* | HTML using Server Side Includes |
| *.so* | Shared library or dynamically loadable object |
| *.sql* | SQL source |
| *.sqml* | SQML schema or query program |
| *.sty* | LaTeX style files |
| *.sym* | Modula-2 compiled definition modules |
| *.tar* | archive created by the [**tar**(1)](/tar/1.md) utility |
| *.tar.Z* | [**tar**(1)](/tar/1.md) archive compressed with [**compress**(1)](/compress/1.md) |
| *.tar.bz2* | [**tar**(1)](/tar/1.md) archive compressed with [**bzip2**(1)](/bzip2/1.md) |
| *.tar.gz* | [**tar**(1)](/tar/1.md) archive compressed with [**gzip**(1)](/gzip/1.md) |
| *.tar.xz* | [**tar**(1)](/tar/1.md) archive compressed with [**xz**(1)](/xz/1.md) |
| *.taz* | [**tar**(1)](/tar/1.md) archive compressed with [**compress**(1)](/compress/1.md) |
| *.tcl* | tcl source code |
| *.tex* | TeX or LaTeX source |
| *.texi* | equivalent to *.texinfo* |
| *.texinfo* | Texinfo documentation source |
| *.text* | text file |
| *.tfm* | TeX font metric file |
| *.tgz* | [**tar**(1)](/tar/1.md) archive compressed with [**gzip**(1)](/gzip/1.md) |
| *.tif* | poor man's *.tiff* |
| *.tiff* | Tagged Image File Format |
| *.tk* | tcl/tk script |
| *.tmp* | temporary file |
| *.tmpl* | template files |
| *.ts* | TypeScript source code |
| *.tsx* | TypeScript with JSX source code (*.ts* + *.jsx*) |
| *.txt* | equivalent to *.text* |
| *.uu* | equivalent to *.uue* |
| *.uue* | binary file encoded with [**uuencode**(1)](/uuencode/1.md) |
| *.vf* | TeX virtual font file |
| *.vpl* | TeX virtual property list file |
| *.w* | Silvio Levi's CWEB |
| *.wav* | wave sound file |
| *.web* | Donald Knuth's WEB |
| *.wml* | Source file for Web Meta Language |
| *.xbm* | X11 bitmap source |
| *.xcf* | GIMP graphic |
| *.xml* | eXtended Markup Language file |
| *.xpm* | X11 pixmap source |
| *.xs* | Perl xsub file produced by h2xs |
| *.xsl* | XSL stylesheet |
| *.xz* | file compressed with [**xz**(1)](/xz/1.md) |
| *.y* | [**yacc**(1)](/yacc/1.md) or [**bison**(1)](/bison/1.md) (parser generator) files |
| *.z* | File compressed using [**pack**(1)](/pack/1.md) (or an old [**gzip**(1)](/gzip/1.md)) |
| *.zip* | [**zip**(1)](/zip/1.md) archive |
| *.zoo* | [**zoo**(1)](/zoo/1.md) archive |
| *.zst* | File compressed using [**zstd**(1)](/zstd/1.md) format |
| *~* | Emacs or [**patch**(1)](/patch/1.md) backup file |
| *rc* | startup (\`run control') file, e.g., *.newsrc* |

## STANDARDS

General UNIX conventions.

## BUGS

This list is not exhaustive.

## SEE ALSO

[**file**(1)](/file/1.md), [**make**(1)](/make/1.md)