File

File is a cool, open-source tool that brings the 'file' command to your fingertips. If you’ve ever used UNIX-like systems like Linux or BSD, you might know this command already. It’s a simple way to find out what type of data is hiding in a file.

History of the File Command

The original 'file' command came from Bell Labs UNIX back in the day. But guess what? It wasn’t available for everyone to tinker with until this new version popped up. Just like any other command-line program, you'll need to use File through a terminal emulator app.

Using File on Your System

This handy tool gives you various options to help classify files on your GNU/Linux system easily and quickly. Want a sneak peek at all its features? Just type file --help in your terminal app!

Awesome Features of File

Some of the best options include:

• Color-Separated Lists: You can use specific files as color-separated lists for magic numbers.


• Compressed Files: It can handle compressed files too!


• MIME Type Support: Outputting MIME type strings and encoding is super easy.

You can also list magic strengths, follow symlinks, preserve access times on files, treat special files like normal ones, and even specify a custom file with the -m option.

A Bit About Compatibility

This software runs across platforms since it’s written entirely in C. That means it's quick and works on all known GNU/Linux operating systems as well as various BSD distributions—think FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and even Darwin/Mac OS X!

How to Install File

The program comes as a universal source tarball (TAR archive), making installation pretty straightforward. To get started:

1. Download the archive from SoftPas.


2. Save it on your PC and unpack it.


3. Open up your terminal app and navigate to where you extracted those files (e.g., cd /home/softpedia/file-5.20).


4. Run: ./configure && make.


5. If all goes well, finish up by running: make install, or if needed, use: sudomake install .