GNU Core Utilities

Template:Short description Template:Refimprove Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox software The GNU Core Utilities or coreutils is a collection of GNU software that implements many standard, Unix-based shell commands. The utilities generally provide POSIX compliant interface when the Template:Mono environment variable is set, but otherwise offers a superset to the standard interface. For example, the utilities support long options and options after parameters. This environment variable enables a different functionality in BSD.

Similar collections are available in the FOSS ecosystem, with a slightly different scope and focus (less functionality), or license. For example, BusyBox which is licensed under GPL-2.0-only, and Toybox which is licensed under 0BSD.

Commands

Currently, there are over 100 commands implemented by coreutils, with the commands listed below. Throughout this article and customary for Unix-based systems, the term file refers to all file system items including regular files and special files such as directories.

File utilities

• chcon Template:Endash Changes file security context (SELinux)
• chgrp Template:Endash Changes file group ownership
• chown Template:Endash Changes file user ownership
• chmod Template:Endash Changes file permissions
• cp Template:Endash Copies files
• dd Template:Endash Copies and converts file data
• df Template:Endash Reports file system free space
• dir Template:Endash Like ls -C -b; by default lists files in columns, sorted vertically
• dircolors Template:Endash Configures colors used for ls output
• install Template:Endash Copies files and sets file attributes
• ln Template:Endash Creates a link to a file
• ls Template:Endash Lists files
• mkdir Template:Endash Creates directories
• mkfifo Template:Endash Creates named pipes (FIFOs)
• mknod Template:Endash Creates block or character special files
• mktemp Template:Endash Creates temporary regular files or directories
• mv Template:Endash Moves and renames files
• realpath Template:Endash Reports the absolute or relative path of a file
• rm Template:Endash Deletes files
• rmdir Template:Endash Deletes empty directories
• shred Template:Endash Overwrites a file to hide its contents and optionally deletes it
• sync Template:Endash Flushes file system buffers
• touch Template:Endash Changes file timestamps; creating files if they do not exist
• truncate Template:Endash Sets the size of a file via truncation or extension
• vdir Template:Endash Like ls -l -b; by default lists files in long format

Text utilities

• b2sum Template:Endash Computes and checks BLAKE2b message digest
• base32 Template:Endash Encodes or decodes base32
• base64 Template:Endash Encodes or decodes base64
• basenc Template:Endash Encodes or decodes various encodings including hexadecimal, base32, base64, and Z85
• cat Template:Endash Concatenates files
• cksum Template:Endash Report or compute the checksum of files
• comm Template:Endash Compares two sorted files line by line
• csplit Template:Endash Splits a file into sections determined by context lines
• cut Template:Endash Removes sections from each line of files
• expand Template:Endash Converts tabs to spaces
• fmt Template:Endash Formats text
• fold Template:Endash Wraps each input line to fit in specified width
• head Template:Endash Outputs the first part of files
• join Template:Endash Joins lines of two files on a common field
• md5sum Template:Endash Computes and checks MD5 message digest
• nl Template:Endash Numbers lines of files
• numfmt Template:Endash Formats numbers
• od Template:Endash Dumps files in octal and other formats
• paste Template:Endash Merges lines of files
• ptx Template:Endash Produces a permuted index of file contents
• pr Template:Endash Paginates or columnates files
• sha1sum, sha224sum, sha256sum, sha384sum, sha512sum Template:Endash Computes and checks SHA-1/SHA-2 message digests
• shuf Template:Endash Generates random permutations
• sort Template:Endash Sorts lines of text files
• split Template:Endash Splits a file into pieces
• sum Template:Endash Checksums and counts the blocks in a file
• tac Template:Endash Concatenates files in reverse order; line by line
• tail Template:Endash Outputs the last part of files
• tr Template:Endash Translates or deletes characters
• tsort Template:Endash Performs a topological sort
• unexpand Template:Endash Converts spaces to tabs
• uniq Template:Endash Removes duplicate lines from a sorted file
• wc Template:Endash Reports the number of bytes, words, and lines in files

Shell utilities

• arch Template:Endash Reports machine hardware name; same as <syntaxhighlight lang="text" class="" style="" inline="1">uname -m</syntaxhighlight>
• basename Template:Endash Removes the path prefix from a given pathname
• chroot Template:Endash Changes the root directory
• date Template:Endash Reports or sets the system date and time
• dirname Template:Endash Strips non-directory suffix from file name
• du Template:Endash Shows disk usage on file systems
• echo Template:Endash Outputs text
• env Template:Endash Reports and modifies environment variables
• expr Template:Endash Evaluates expressions
• factor Template:Endash Factors numbers
• false Template:Endash Does nothing but exit with unsuccessful status
• groups Template:Endash Reports the groups of which the user is a member
• hostid Template:Endash Reports the numeric identifier for the current host
• id Template:Endash Reports the real or effective UID and GID
• link Template:Endash Creates a link to a file
• logname Template:Endash Reports the user's login name
• nice Template:Endash Modifies scheduling priority
• nohup Template:Endash Allows a command to continue running after logging out
• nproc Template:Endash Queries the number of (active) processors
• pathchk Template:Endash Checks whether file names are valid or portable
• pinky Template:Endash A lightweight version of finger
• printenv Template:Endash Reports environment variables
• printf Template:Endash Formats text
• pwd Template:Endash Reports the current working directory
• readlink Template:Endash Reports the value of a symbolic link
• runcon Template:Endash Run command with specified security context
• seq Template:Endash Reports a sequence of numbers
• sleep Template:Endash Blocks (delays, waits) for a specified amount of time
• stat Template:Endash Reports information about an inode
• stdbuf Template:Endash Runs a command with custom standard streams configuration
• stty Template:Endash Changes and reports terminal line settings
• tee Template:Endash Sends output to multiple files
• test Template:Endash Evaluates an expression
• timeout Template:Endash Runs a command with a time limit
• true Template:Endash Does nothing but exit with success status
• tty Template:Endash Reports the terminal name
• uname Template:Endash Reports system information
• unlink Template:Endash Removes files via unlink() function
• uptime Template:Endash Reports how long the system has been running
• users Template:Endash Reports the user names of users currently logged into the current host
• who Template:Endash Reports logged-in users
• whoami Template:Endash Reports the effective userid
• yes Template:Endash Outputs a string repeatedly
• [ Template:Endash Synonym for test that enables expressions like [ expression ]

History

In 1990, David MacKenzie announced GNU fileutils.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1991, MacKenzie announced GNU shellutils and GNU textutils.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moreover, Jim Meyering became the maintainer of the packages (known now as coreutils) and has remained so since.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In September 2002, the GNU coreutils were created by merging the earlier packages textutils, shellutils, and fileutils, along with some other miscellaneous utilities.<ref name="merge">Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 2007, the license of the GNU coreutils was updated from GPL-2.0-or-later to GPL-3.0-or-later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 2026, Canonical is planning to replace the standard, C-based coreutils package with one written in Rust in their release of Ubuntu 25.10 and 26.04 LTS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A preview version of the package is currently available, though some complain about performance and security issues.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

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External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:Cite web - Manual
• Template:Cite web
• Template:Cite web – An alternative set of utilities
• Template:Cite web
• Template:Cite web – configurable list of equivalent programs for *nix systems.
• Template:Cite web – explains the names of many Unix commands.
• Template:Cite web