CMP(1)                       UNIX Reference Manual                      CMP(1)

NAME
     cmp - compare two files

SYNOPSIS
     cmp [-l | -s] file1 file2 [skip1 [skip2]]

DESCRIPTION
     The cmp utility compares two files of any type and writes the results to
     the standard output.  By default, cmp is silent if the files are the
     same; if they differ, the byte and line number at which the first differ-
     ence occurred is reported.

     Bytes and lines are numbered beginning with one.

     The following options are available:

     -l    Print the byte number (decimal) and the differing byte values (oc-
           tal) for each difference.

     -s    Print nothing for differing files; return exit status only.

     The optional arguments skip1 and skip2 are the byte offsets from the be-
     ginning of file1 and file2, respectively, where the comparison will be-
     gin.  The offset is decimal by default, but may be expressed as an hex-
     adecimal or octal value by preceding it with a leading ``0x'' or ``0''.

     The cmp utility exits with one of the following values:

     0     The files are identical.

     1     The files are different; this includes the case where one file is
           identical to the first part of the other.  In the latter case, if
           the -s option has not been specified, cmp writes to standard output
           that EOF was reached in the shorter file (before any differences
           were found).

     >1    An error occurred.

SEE ALSO
     diff(1),  diff3(1)

STANDARDS
     The cmp utility is expected to be IEEE Std1003.2 (``POSIX'') compatible.

BSD Experimental                 June 6, 1993                                1