STRINGS(1)                 Commands and Applications                STRINGS(1)

NAME

       strings - find printable strings in a file

SYNOPSIS

       strings [-afo] [-n number] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION

       Strings  displays  the sequences of printable characters in each of the
       specified files, or in the standard input, by default.  By  default,  a
       sequence  must  be at least four characters in length before being dis‐
       played.

       Strings is useful for identifying random binaries, among other things.

OPTIONS

       -a     By default, strings only searches the text and data segments  of
              object  files. The -a option causes strings to search the entire
              object file.

       -f     Each string is preceded by the name of the file in which it  was
              found.

       -n     Specifies  the  minimum number of characters in a sequence to be
              number, instead of four.

       -o     Each string is preceded by its decimal offset in the file.

SEE ALSO

       hexdump(1)

BUGS

       The algorithm for identifying strings is extremely primitive.  In  par‐
       ticular,  machine code instructions on certain architectures can resem‐
       ble sequences of ASCII bytes, which will fool the algorithm.

COMPATIBILITY

       Historic implementations of strings only search  the  initialized  data
       portion  of  the object file.  This was reasonable as strings were nor‐
       mally stored there.   Given  new  compiler  technology  which  installs
       strings  in  the  text portion of the object file, the default behavior
       was changed.

HISTORY

       The strings command appeared in 3.0 BSD.



GNO                               9 May 1991                        STRINGS(1)