solaris - cmp (1)



NAME
     cmp - compare two files


SYNOPSIS
     cmp [ -l ] [ -s ] file1 file2 [ skip1 ] [ skip2 ]


AVAILABILITY
     SUNWcsu


DESCRIPTION
     The cmp utility compares two files.  cmp will write no  out-
     put  if  the  files are the same.  Under default options, if
     they differ, it writes to standard output the byte and  line
     numbers  at  which the first difference occurred.  Bytes and
     lines are numbered beginning with 1.  If one file is an ini-
     tial  subsequence  of  the other, that fact is noted.  skip1
     and skip2 are initial byte  offsets  into  file1  and  file2
     respectively,  and may be either octal or decimal; a leading
     0 denotes octal.


OPTIONS
     -l         Write the byte number (decimal) and the differing
               bytes (octal) for each difference.

     -s         Write nothing for differing  files;  return  exit
               statuses only.


OPERANDS
     The following operands are supported:

     file1   A path name of the first file to  be  compared.   If
             file1 is -, the standard input will be used.

     file2   A path name of the second file to be  compared.   If
             file2 is -, the standard input will be used.

     If both file1 and file2 refer to standard input or refer  to
     the  same  FIFO  special, block special or character special
     file, an error results.


EXAMPLES
     The following example:
          example% cmp file1 file2 0 1024

     does a byte for byte comparison  of  file1  and  file2.   It
     skips the first 1024 bytes in file2 before starting the com-
     parison.


ENVIRONMENT
     See environ(5) for descriptions of the following environment
     variables  that  affect  the  execution  of  cmp:  LC_CTYPE,
     LC_MESSAGES, and NLSPATH.


EXIT STATUS
     The following error values are returned:

     0   The files are identical.

     1   The files are different; this includes  the  case  where
         one file is identical to the first part of the other.

     >1  An error occurred.


SEE ALSO
     comm(1), diff(1), environ(5)