RTEMS GNU Tools On-Line Library

Option Table

GNU Coding Standards

4.5: 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 mailto:gnu@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.
`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.
`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.
`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.
`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.
`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.
`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 mailto: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.
`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.
`query-user': `-X' in shar.
`question': `-q' in Make.
`quiet': Used in many programs to inhibit the usual output. Note: every program accepting `--quiet' should accept `--silent' as a synonym.
`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': Used in many programs to inhibit the usual output. Note: every program accepting `--silent' should accept `--quiet' as a synonym.
`size': `-s' in ls.
`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.
`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.

GNU Coding Standards