MirBSD manpage: cmp(1)

CMP(1)                       BSD Reference Manual                       CMP(1)

NAME

     cmp - compare two files

SYNOPSIS

     cmp [-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 ALSO

     diff(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.

MirBSD #10-current               June 6, 1993                                1