CMP(1) BSD Reference Manual CMP(1)NAMEcmp - compare two files
SYNOPSIScmp [-l | -s] file1 file2 [skip1 [skip2]]
DESCRIPTION
The cmp utility compares two files of any type and writes the results to
the standard output. By default, cmp is silent if the files are the same;
if they differ, the byte and line number at which the first difference
occurred is reported.
Bytes and lines are numbered beginning with one.
The options are as follows:
-l Print the byte number (decimal) and the differing byte values
(octal) for each difference.
-s Print nothing for differing files; return exit status only.
The optional arguments skip1 and skip2 are the byte offsets from the be-
ginning of file1 and file2, respectively, where the comparison will be-
gin. The offset is decimal by default, but may be expressed as a hexade-
cimal or octal value by preceding it with a leading "0x" or "0".
The cmp utility exits with one of the following values:
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. In the latter case, if
the -s option has not been specified, cmp writes to standard error
that EOF was reached in the shorter file (before any differences
were found).
>1 An error occurred.
SEE ALSOdiff(1), diff3(1)STANDARDS
The cmp utility is expected to be IEEE Std 1003.2 ("POSIX.2") compatible.
HISTORY
A cmp command appeared in Version 1 AT&T UNIX.
MirOS BSD #10-current June 6, 1993 1
