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diffutils: Invoking cmp

 
 12 Invoking 'cmp'
 *****************
 
 The 'cmp' command compares two files, and if they differ, tells the
 first byte and line number where they differ or reports that one file is
 a prefix of the other.  Bytes and lines are numbered starting with 1.
 The arguments of 'cmp' are as follows:
 
      cmp OPTIONS... FROM-FILE [TO-FILE [FROM-SKIP [TO-SKIP]]]
 
    The file name '-' is always the standard input.  'cmp' also uses the
 standard input if one file name is omitted.  The FROM-SKIP and TO-SKIP
 operands specify how many bytes to ignore at the start of each file;
 they are equivalent to the '--ignore-initial=FROM-SKIP:TO-SKIP' option.
 
    By default, 'cmp' outputs nothing if the two files have the same
 contents.  If the two files have bytes that differ, 'cmp' reports the
 location of the first difference to standard output:
 
      FROM-FILE TO-FILE differ: char BYTE-NUMBER, line LINE-NUMBER
 
 If one file is a prefix of the other, 'cmp' reports the shorter file's
 name to standard error, followed by a blank and extra information about
 the shorter file:
 
      cmp: EOF on SHORTER-FILE EXTRA-INFO
 
    The message formats can differ outside the POSIX locale.  POSIX
 allows but does not require the EOF diagnostic's file name to be
 followed by a blank and additional information.
 
    An exit status of 0 means no differences were found, 1 means some
 differences were found, and 2 means trouble.
 

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· cmp Options Summary of options to 'cmp'.
 

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