GNU Core Utilities

GNU Core Utilities

Developer(s)	GNU Project
Stable release	9.7  / 9 April 2025
Repository	git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git
Written in	C, shell script
Operating system	Unix-like
Type	Miscellaneous utilities
License	2007, GPL 3.0 or later since version 6.10 2002, GPL 2.0 or later until version 6.9
Website	www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/

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 POSIXLY_CORRECT 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

In Unix-based systems, the term file refers to all file system items including regular files and special files such as directories.

File utilities

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

Text utilities

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

Shell utilities

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

History

In 1990, David MacKenzie announced GNU fileutils.

In 1991, MacKenzie announced GNU shellutils and GNU textutils. Moreover, Jim Meyering became the maintainer of the packages (known now as coreutils) and has remained so since.

In September 2002, the GNU coreutils were created by merging the earlier packages textutils, shellutils, and fileutils, along with some other miscellaneous utilities.

In July 2007, the license of the GNU coreutils was updated from GPL-2.0-or-later to GPL-3.0-or-later.

See also

• GNOME Core Applications – Software applications built with the GNOME philosophy in mind
• GNU Binutils – GNU software development tools for executable code
• List of GNU packages
• List of KDE applications – Set of applications and supporting librariesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• List of POSIX commands
• List of Unix daemons
• List of web browsers for Unix and Unix-like operating systems
• Toybox – Collection of Unix tools in single executable file
• Unix philosophy – Software development philosophy
• util-linux – Package of Linux utilities from the Linux Kernel Organization

External links

• Official website
• Manual
• README
• The Heirloom Toolchest - An alternative set of utilities
• opensource.com article: gnu-core-utilities on 4 Apr 2018 by David Both (Correspondent)
• Rosetta Stone For *Nix – configurable list of equivalent programs for *nix systems.
• The Unix Acronym List – explains the names of many Unix commands.
• The UNIX System Homepage