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(standards.info.gz) Option Table

Info Catalog (standards.info.gz) Command-Line Interfaces (standards.info.gz) Program Behavior (standards.info.gz) Memory Usage
 
 Table of Long Options
 =====================
 
    Here is a table of long options used by GNU programs.  It is surely
 incomplete, but we aim to list all the options that a new program might
 want to be compatible with.  If you use names not already in the table,
 please send <bug-standards@gnu.org> a list of them, with their
 meanings, so we can update the table.
 
 `after-date'
      `-N' in `tar'.
 
 `all'
      `-a' in `du', `ls', `nm', `stty', `uname', and `unexpand'.
 
 `all-text'
      `-a' in `diff'.
 
 `almost-all'
      `-A' in `ls'.
 
 `append'
      `-a' in `etags', `tee', `time'; `-r' in `tar'.
 
 `archive'
      `-a' in `cp'.
 
 `archive-name'
      `-n' in `shar'.
 
 `arglength'
      `-l' in `m4'.
 
 `ascii'
      `-a' in `diff'.
 
 `assign'
      `-v' in `gawk'.
 
 `assume-new'
      `-W' in Make.
 
 `assume-old'
      `-o' in Make.
 
 `auto-check'
      `-a' in `recode'.
 
 `auto-pager'
      `-a' in `wdiff'.
 
 `auto-reference'
      `-A' in `ptx'.
 
 `avoid-wraps'
      `-n' in `wdiff'.
 
 `background'
      For server programs, run in the background.
 
 `backward-search'
      `-B' in `ctags'.
 
 `basename'
      `-f' in `shar'.
 
 `batch'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `baud'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `before'
      `-b' in `tac'.
 
 `binary'
      `-b' in `cpio' and `diff'.
 
 `bits-per-code'
      `-b' in `shar'.
 
 `block-size'
      Used in `cpio' and `tar'.
 
 `blocks'
      `-b' in `head' and `tail'.
 
 `break-file'
      `-b' in `ptx'.
 
 `brief'
      Used in various programs to make output shorter.
 
 `bytes'
      `-c' in `head', `split', and `tail'.
 
 `c++'
      `-C' in `etags'.
 
 `catenate'
      `-A' in `tar'.
 
 `cd'
      Used in various programs to specify the directory to use.
 
 `changes'
      `-c' in `chgrp' and `chown'.
 
 `classify'
      `-F' in `ls'.
 
 `colons'
      `-c' in `recode'.
 
 `command'
      `-c' in `su'; `-x' in GDB.
 
 `compare'
      `-d' in `tar'.
 
 `compat'
      Used in `gawk'.
 
 `compress'
      `-Z' in `tar' and `shar'.
 
 `concatenate'
      `-A' in `tar'.
 
 `confirmation'
      `-w' in `tar'.
 
 `context'
      Used in `diff'.
 
 `copyleft'
      `-W copyleft' in `gawk'.
 
 `copyright'
      `-C' in `ptx', `recode', and `wdiff'; `-W copyright' in `gawk'.
 
 `core'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `count'
      `-q' in `who'.
 
 `count-links'
      `-l' in `du'.
 
 `create'
      Used in `tar' and `cpio'.
 
 `cut-mark'
      `-c' in `shar'.
 
 `cxref'
      `-x' in `ctags'.
 
 `date'
      `-d' in `touch'.
 
 `debug'
      `-d' in Make and `m4'; `-t' in Bison.
 
 `define'
      `-D' in `m4'.
 
 `defines'
      `-d' in Bison and `ctags'.
 
 `delete'
      `-D' in `tar'.
 
 `dereference'
      `-L' in `chgrp', `chown', `cpio', `du', `ls', and `tar'.
 
 `dereference-args'
      `-D' in `du'.
 
 `device'
      Specify an I/O device (special file name).
 
 `diacritics'
      `-d' in `recode'.
 
 `dictionary-order'
      `-d' in `look'.
 
 `diff'
      `-d' in `tar'.
 
 `digits'
      `-n' in `csplit'.
 
 `directory'
      Specify the directory to use, in various programs.  In `ls', it
      means to show directories themselves rather than their contents.
      In `rm' and `ln', it means to not treat links to directories
      specially.
 
 `discard-all'
      `-x' in `strip'.
 
 `discard-locals'
      `-X' in `strip'.
 
 `dry-run'
      `-n' in Make.
 
 `ed'
      `-e' in `diff'.
 
 `elide-empty-files'
      `-z' in `csplit'.
 
 `end-delete'
      `-x' in `wdiff'.
 
 `end-insert'
      `-z' in `wdiff'.
 
 `entire-new-file'
      `-N' in `diff'.
 
 `environment-overrides'
      `-e' in Make.
 
 `eof'
      `-e' in `xargs'.
 
 `epoch'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `error-limit'
      Used in `makeinfo'.
 
 `error-output'
      `-o' in `m4'.
 
 `escape'
      `-b' in `ls'.
 
 `exclude-from'
      `-X' in `tar'.
 
 `exec'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `exit'
      `-x' in `xargs'.
 
 `exit-0'
      `-e' in `unshar'.
 
 `expand-tabs'
      `-t' in `diff'.
 
 `expression'
      `-e' in `sed'.
 
 `extern-only'
      `-g' in `nm'.
 
 `extract'
      `-i' in `cpio'; `-x' in `tar'.
 
 `faces'
      `-f' in `finger'.
 
 `fast'
      `-f' in `su'.
 
 `fatal-warnings'
      `-E' in `m4'.
 
 `file'
      `-f' in `info', `gawk', Make, `mt', and `tar'; `-n' in `sed'; `-r'
      in `touch'.
 
 `field-separator'
      `-F' in `gawk'.
 
 `file-prefix'
      `-b' in Bison.
 
 `file-type'
      `-F' in `ls'.
 
 `files-from'
      `-T' in `tar'.
 
 `fill-column'
      Used in `makeinfo'.
 
 `flag-truncation'
      `-F' in `ptx'.
 
 `fixed-output-files'
      `-y' in Bison.
 
 `follow'
      `-f' in `tail'.
 
 `footnote-style'
      Used in `makeinfo'.
 
 `force'
      `-f' in `cp', `ln', `mv', and `rm'.
 
 `force-prefix'
      `-F' in `shar'.
 
 `foreground'
      For server programs, run in the foreground; in other words, don't
      do anything special to run the server in the background.
 
 `format'
      Used in `ls', `time', and `ptx'.
 
 `freeze-state'
      `-F' in `m4'.
 
 `fullname'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `gap-size'
      `-g' in `ptx'.
 
 `get'
      `-x' in `tar'.
 
 `graphic'
      `-i' in `ul'.
 
 `graphics'
      `-g' in `recode'.
 
 `group'
      `-g' in `install'.
 
 `gzip'
      `-z' in `tar' and `shar'.
 
 `hashsize'
      `-H' in `m4'.
 
 `header'
      `-h' in `objdump' and `recode'
 
 `heading'
      `-H' in `who'.
 
 `help'
      Used to ask for brief usage information.
 
 `here-delimiter'
      `-d' in `shar'.
 
 `hide-control-chars'
      `-q' in `ls'.
 
 `html'
      In `makeinfo', output HTML.
 
 `idle'
      `-u' in `who'.
 
 `ifdef'
      `-D' in `diff'.
 
 `ignore'
      `-I' in `ls'; `-x' in `recode'.
 
 `ignore-all-space'
      `-w' in `diff'.
 
 `ignore-backups'
      `-B' in `ls'.
 
 `ignore-blank-lines'
      `-B' in `diff'.
 
 `ignore-case'
      `-f' in `look' and `ptx'; `-i' in `diff' and `wdiff'.
 
 `ignore-errors'
      `-i' in Make.
 
 `ignore-file'
      `-i' in `ptx'.
 
 `ignore-indentation'
      `-I' in `etags'.
 
 `ignore-init-file'
      `-f' in Oleo.
 
 `ignore-interrupts'
      `-i' in `tee'.
 
 `ignore-matching-lines'
      `-I' in `diff'.
 
 `ignore-space-change'
      `-b' in `diff'.
 
 `ignore-zeros'
      `-i' in `tar'.
 
 `include'
      `-i' in `etags'; `-I' in `m4'.
 
 `include-dir'
      `-I' in Make.
 
 `incremental'
      `-G' in `tar'.
 
 `info'
      `-i', `-l', and `-m' in Finger.
 
 `init-file'
      In some programs, specify the name of the file to read as the
      user's init file.
 
 `initial'
      `-i' in `expand'.
 
 `initial-tab'
      `-T' in `diff'.
 
 `inode'
      `-i' in `ls'.
 
 `interactive'
      `-i' in `cp', `ln', `mv', `rm'; `-e' in `m4'; `-p' in `xargs';
      `-w' in `tar'.
 
 `intermix-type'
      `-p' in `shar'.
 
 `iso-8601'
      Used in `date'
 
 `jobs'
      `-j' in Make.
 
 `just-print'
      `-n' in Make.
 
 `keep-going'
      `-k' in Make.
 
 `keep-files'
      `-k' in `csplit'.
 
 `kilobytes'
      `-k' in `du' and `ls'.
 
 `language'
      `-l' in `etags'.
 
 `less-mode'
      `-l' in `wdiff'.
 
 `level-for-gzip'
      `-g' in `shar'.
 
 `line-bytes'
      `-C' in `split'.
 
 `lines'
      Used in `split', `head', and `tail'.
 
 `link'
      `-l' in `cpio'.
 
 `lint'
 `lint-old'
      Used in `gawk'.
 
 `list'
      `-t' in `cpio'; `-l' in `recode'.
 
 `list'
      `-t' in `tar'.
 
 `literal'
      `-N' in `ls'.
 
 `load-average'
      `-l' in Make.
 
 `login'
      Used in `su'.
 
 `machine'
      No listing of which programs already use this; someone should
      check to see if any actually do, and tell <gnu@gnu.org>.
 
 `macro-name'
      `-M' in `ptx'.
 
 `mail'
      `-m' in `hello' and `uname'.
 
 `make-directories'
      `-d' in `cpio'.
 
 `makefile'
      `-f' in Make.
 
 `mapped'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `max-args'
      `-n' in `xargs'.
 
 `max-chars'
      `-n' in `xargs'.
 
 `max-lines'
      `-l' in `xargs'.
 
 `max-load'
      `-l' in Make.
 
 `max-procs'
      `-P' in `xargs'.
 
 `mesg'
      `-T' in `who'.
 
 `message'
      `-T' in `who'.
 
 `minimal'
      `-d' in `diff'.
 
 `mixed-uuencode'
      `-M' in `shar'.
 
 `mode'
      `-m' in `install', `mkdir', and `mkfifo'.
 
 `modification-time'
      `-m' in `tar'.
 
 `multi-volume'
      `-M' in `tar'.
 
 `name-prefix'
      `-a' in Bison.
 
 `nesting-limit'
      `-L' in `m4'.
 
 `net-headers'
      `-a' in `shar'.
 
 `new-file'
      `-W' in Make.
 
 `no-builtin-rules'
      `-r' in Make.
 
 `no-character-count'
      `-w' in `shar'.
 
 `no-check-existing'
      `-x' in `shar'.
 
 `no-common'
      `-3' in `wdiff'.
 
 `no-create'
      `-c' in `touch'.
 
 `no-defines'
      `-D' in `etags'.
 
 `no-deleted'
      `-1' in `wdiff'.
 
 `no-dereference'
      `-d' in `cp'.
 
 `no-inserted'
      `-2' in `wdiff'.
 
 `no-keep-going'
      `-S' in Make.
 
 `no-lines'
      `-l' in Bison.
 
 `no-piping'
      `-P' in `shar'.
 
 `no-prof'
      `-e' in `gprof'.
 
 `no-regex'
      `-R' in `etags'.
 
 `no-sort'
      `-p' in `nm'.
 
 `no-split'
      Used in `makeinfo'.
 
 `no-static'
      `-a' in `gprof'.
 
 `no-time'
      `-E' in `gprof'.
 
 `no-timestamp'
      `-m' in `shar'.
 
 `no-validate'
      Used in `makeinfo'.
 
 `no-wait'
      Used in `emacsclient'.
 
 `no-warn'
      Used in various programs to inhibit warnings.
 
 `node'
      `-n' in `info'.
 
 `nodename'
      `-n' in `uname'.
 
 `nonmatching'
      `-f' in `cpio'.
 
 `nstuff'
      `-n' in `objdump'.
 
 `null'
      `-0' in `xargs'.
 
 `number'
      `-n' in `cat'.
 
 `number-nonblank'
      `-b' in `cat'.
 
 `numeric-sort'
      `-n' in `nm'.
 
 `numeric-uid-gid'
      `-n' in `cpio' and `ls'.
 
 `nx'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `old-archive'
      `-o' in `tar'.
 
 `old-file'
      `-o' in Make.
 
 `one-file-system'
      `-l' in `tar', `cp', and `du'.
 
 `only-file'
      `-o' in `ptx'.
 
 `only-prof'
      `-f' in `gprof'.
 
 `only-time'
      `-F' in `gprof'.
 
 `options'
      `-o' in `getopt', `fdlist', `fdmount', `fdmountd', and `fdumount'.
 
 `output'
      In various programs, specify the output file name.
 
 `output-prefix'
      `-o' in `shar'.
 
 `override'
      `-o' in `rm'.
 
 `overwrite'
      `-c' in `unshar'.
 
 `owner'
      `-o' in `install'.
 
 `paginate'
      `-l' in `diff'.
 
 `paragraph-indent'
      Used in `makeinfo'.
 
 `parents'
      `-p' in `mkdir' and `rmdir'.
 
 `pass-all'
      `-p' in `ul'.
 
 `pass-through'
      `-p' in `cpio'.
 
 `port'
      `-P' in `finger'.
 
 `portability'
      `-c' in `cpio' and `tar'.
 
 `posix'
      Used in `gawk'.
 
 `prefix-builtins'
      `-P' in `m4'.
 
 `prefix'
      `-f' in `csplit'.
 
 `preserve'
      Used in `tar' and `cp'.
 
 `preserve-environment'
      `-p' in `su'.
 
 `preserve-modification-time'
      `-m' in `cpio'.
 
 `preserve-order'
      `-s' in `tar'.
 
 `preserve-permissions'
      `-p' in `tar'.
 
 `print'
      `-l' in `diff'.
 
 `print-chars'
      `-L' in `cmp'.
 
 `print-data-base'
      `-p' in Make.
 
 `print-directory'
      `-w' in Make.
 
 `print-file-name'
      `-o' in `nm'.
 
 `print-symdefs'
      `-s' in `nm'.
 
 `printer'
      `-p' in `wdiff'.
 
 `prompt'
      `-p' in `ed'.
 
 `proxy'
      Specify an HTTP proxy.
 
 `query-user'
      `-X' in `shar'.
 
 `question'
      `-q' in Make.
 
 `quiet'
 
 `quiet-unshar'
      `-Q' in `shar'
 
 `quote-name'
      `-Q' in `ls'.
 
 `rcs'
      `-n' in `diff'.
 
 `re-interval'
      Used in `gawk'.
 
 `read-full-blocks'
      `-B' in `tar'.
 
 `readnow'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `recon'
      `-n' in Make.
 
 `record-number'
      `-R' in `tar'.
 
 `recursive'
      Used in `chgrp', `chown', `cp', `ls', `diff', and `rm'.
 
 `reference-limit'
      Used in `makeinfo'.
 
 `references'
      `-r' in `ptx'.
 
 `regex'
      `-r' in `tac' and `etags'.
 
 `release'
      `-r' in `uname'.
 
 `reload-state'
      `-R' in `m4'.
 
 `relocation'
      `-r' in `objdump'.
 
 `rename'
      `-r' in `cpio'.
 
 `replace'
      `-i' in `xargs'.
 
 `report-identical-files'
      `-s' in `diff'.
 
 `reset-access-time'
      `-a' in `cpio'.
 
 `reverse'
      `-r' in `ls' and `nm'.
 
 `reversed-ed'
      `-f' in `diff'.
 
 `right-side-defs'
      `-R' in `ptx'.
 
 `same-order'
      `-s' in `tar'.
 
 `same-permissions'
      `-p' in `tar'.
 
 `save'
      `-g' in `stty'.
 
 `se'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `sentence-regexp'
      `-S' in `ptx'.
 
 `separate-dirs'
      `-S' in `du'.
 
 `separator'
      `-s' in `tac'.
 
 `sequence'
      Used by `recode' to chose files or pipes for sequencing passes.
 
 `shell'
      `-s' in `su'.
 
 `show-all'
      `-A' in `cat'.
 
 `show-c-function'
      `-p' in `diff'.
 
 `show-ends'
      `-E' in `cat'.
 
 `show-function-line'
      `-F' in `diff'.
 
 `show-tabs'
      `-T' in `cat'.
 
 `silent'
 
 `size'
      `-s' in `ls'.
 
 `socket'
      Specify a file descriptor for a network server to use for its
      socket, instead of opening and binding a new socket.  This
      provides a way to run, in a nonpriveledged process, a server that
      normally needs a reserved port number.
 
 `sort'
      Used in `ls'.
 
 `source'
      `-W source' in `gawk'.
 
 `sparse'
      `-S' in `tar'.
 
 `speed-large-files'
      `-H' in `diff'.
 
 `split-at'
      `-E' in `unshar'.
 
 `split-size-limit'
      `-L' in `shar'.
 
 `squeeze-blank'
      `-s' in `cat'.
 
 `start-delete'
      `-w' in `wdiff'.
 
 `start-insert'
      `-y' in `wdiff'.
 
 `starting-file'
      Used in `tar' and `diff' to specify which file within a directory
      to start processing with.
 
 `statistics'
      `-s' in `wdiff'.
 
 `stdin-file-list'
      `-S' in `shar'.
 
 `stop'
      `-S' in Make.
 
 `strict'
      `-s' in `recode'.
 
 `strip'
      `-s' in `install'.
 
 `strip-all'
      `-s' in `strip'.
 
 `strip-debug'
      `-S' in `strip'.
 
 `submitter'
      `-s' in `shar'.
 
 `suffix'
      `-S' in `cp', `ln', `mv'.
 
 `suffix-format'
      `-b' in `csplit'.
 
 `sum'
      `-s' in `gprof'.
 
 `summarize'
      `-s' in `du'.
 
 `symbolic'
      `-s' in `ln'.
 
 `symbols'
      Used in GDB and `objdump'.
 
 `synclines'
      `-s' in `m4'.
 
 `sysname'
      `-s' in `uname'.
 
 `tabs'
      `-t' in `expand' and `unexpand'.
 
 `tabsize'
      `-T' in `ls'.
 
 `terminal'
      `-T' in `tput' and `ul'.  `-t' in `wdiff'.
 
 `text'
      `-a' in `diff'.
 
 `text-files'
      `-T' in `shar'.
 
 `time'
      Used in `ls' and `touch'.
 
 `timeout'
      Specify how long to wait before giving up on some operation.
 
 `to-stdout'
      `-O' in `tar'.
 
 `total'
      `-c' in `du'.
 
 `touch'
      `-t' in Make, `ranlib', and `recode'.
 
 `trace'
      `-t' in `m4'.
 
 `traditional'
      `-t' in `hello'; `-W traditional' in `gawk'; `-G' in `ed', `m4',
      and `ptx'.
 
 `tty'
      Used in GDB.
 
 `typedefs'
      `-t' in `ctags'.
 
 `typedefs-and-c++'
      `-T' in `ctags'.
 
 `typeset-mode'
      `-t' in `ptx'.
 
 `uncompress'
      `-z' in `tar'.
 
 `unconditional'
      `-u' in `cpio'.
 
 `undefine'
      `-U' in `m4'.
 
 `undefined-only'
      `-u' in `nm'.
 
 `update'
      `-u' in `cp', `ctags', `mv', `tar'.
 
 `usage'
      Used in `gawk'; same as `--help'.
 
 `uuencode'
      `-B' in `shar'.
 
 `vanilla-operation'
      `-V' in `shar'.
 
 `verbose'
      Print more information about progress.  Many programs support this.
 
 `verify'
      `-W' in `tar'.
 
 `version'
      Print the version number.
 
 `version-control'
      `-V' in `cp', `ln', `mv'.
 
 `vgrind'
      `-v' in `ctags'.
 
 `volume'
      `-V' in `tar'.
 
 `what-if'
      `-W' in Make.
 
 `whole-size-limit'
      `-l' in `shar'.
 
 `width'
      `-w' in `ls' and `ptx'.
 
 `word-regexp'
      `-W' in `ptx'.
 
 `writable'
      `-T' in `who'.
 
 `zeros'
      `-z' in `gprof'.
 
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