The stat command in Linux provides detailed information about a file or filesystem, including file size, permissions, ownership, and timestamps. It is useful for quickly checking metadata of files and directories.
Contents
Display File InformationDisplay Filesystem InformationShow Only File SizeShow File Permissions in Octal FormatShow File Owner and GroupDisplay File Inode NumberShow File Access TimeShow File Modification TimeShow File Change TimeDisplay Multiple Custom AttributesShow Filesystem Block SizeDisplay Filesystem Free SpaceShow Filesystem Total SpaceCompare File TimestampsDisplay Information for Multiple FilesShow Symbolic Link Information
Display File Information
stat file.txt
Shows details like size, blocks, inode, permissions, and timestamps for file.txt.
Display Filesystem Information
stat -f / -f: Displays filesystem information for the root (/) directory.
Show Only File Size
stat -c %s file.txt -c %s: Outputs only the file size in bytes.
Show File Permissions in Octal Format
stat -c %A file.txt -c %A: Displays file permissions in human-readable format (e.g.,-rw-r--r--).
Show File Owner and Group
stat -c %U:%G file.txt -c %U:%G: Displays the owner and group of the file (e.g.,user:group).
Display File Inode Number
stat -c %i file.txt -c %i: Outputs the inode number of the file.
Show File Access Time
stat -c %x file.txt -c %x: Displays the last access time of the file.
Show File Modification Time
stat -c %y file.txt -c %y: Displays the last modification time of the file.
Show File Change Time
stat -c %z file.txt -c %z: Displays the last status change time (e.g., permissions or ownership changes).
Display Multiple Custom Attributes
stat -c "Size: %s bytes, Owner: %U, Permissions: %A" file.txt
Outputs custom-formatted information about the file.
Show Filesystem Block Size
stat -f -c %S / -f -c %S: Displays the block size of the root (/) filesystem.
Display Filesystem Free Space
stat -f -c %a / -f -c %a: Shows the number of free blocks on the root (/) filesystem.
Show Filesystem Total Space
stat -f -c %b / -f -c %b: Displays the total number of blocks on the root (/) filesystem.
Compare File Timestamps
stat -c "Access: %x, Modify: %y, Change: %z" file.txt
Outputs all three timestamps (access, modify, change) for comparison.
Display Information for Multiple Files
stat file1.txt file2.txt
Shows details for both file1.txt and file2.txt.
Show Symbolic Link Information
stat -L symlink -L: Follows the symbolic link and displays information about the target file.
Key Notes:
- Custom Formatting: Use
-cto specify custom output formats. - Filesystem Info: Use
-fto query filesystem details. - Timestamps: Access (
%x), Modify (%y), and Change (%z) times are useful for debugging.
