standards: Option Table
1
1 4.9 Table of Long Options
1 =========================
1
1 Here is a table of long options used by GNU programs. It is surely
1 incomplete, but we aim to list all the options that a new program might
1 want to be compatible with. If you use names not already in the table,
1 please send <bug-standards@gnu.org> a list of them, with their meanings,
1 so we can update the table.
1
1 'after-date'
1 '-N' in 'tar'.
1
1 'all'
1 '-a' in 'du', 'ls', 'nm', 'stty', 'uname', and 'unexpand'.
1
1 'all-text'
1 '-a' in 'diff'.
1
1 'almost-all'
1 '-A' in 'ls'.
1
1 'append'
1 '-a' in 'etags', 'tee', 'time'; '-r' in 'tar'.
1
1 'archive'
1 '-a' in 'cp'.
1
1 'archive-name'
1 '-n' in 'shar'.
1
1 'arglength'
1 '-l' in 'm4'.
1
1 'ascii'
1 '-a' in 'diff'.
1
1 'assign'
1 '-v' in 'gawk'.
1
1 'assume-new'
1 '-W' in 'make'.
1
1 'assume-old'
1 '-o' in 'make'.
1
1 'auto-check'
1 '-a' in 'recode'.
1
1 'auto-pager'
1 '-a' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'auto-reference'
1 '-A' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'avoid-wraps'
1 '-n' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'background'
1 For server programs, run in the background.
1
1 'backward-search'
1 '-B' in 'ctags'.
1
1 'basename'
1 '-f' in 'shar'.
1
1 'batch'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'baud'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'before'
1 '-b' in 'tac'.
1
1 'binary'
1 '-b' in 'cpio' and 'diff'.
1
1 'bits-per-code'
1 '-b' in 'shar'.
1
1 'block-size'
1 Used in 'cpio' and 'tar'.
1
1 'blocks'
1 '-b' in 'head' and 'tail'.
1
1 'break-file'
1 '-b' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'brief'
1 Used in various programs to make output shorter.
1
1 'bytes'
1 '-c' in 'head', 'split', and 'tail'.
1
1 'c++'
1 '-C' in 'etags'.
1
1 'catenate'
1 '-A' in 'tar'.
1
1 'cd'
1 Used in various programs to specify the directory to use.
1
1 'changes'
1 '-c' in 'chgrp' and 'chown'.
1
1 'classify'
1 '-F' in 'ls'.
1
1 'colons'
1 '-c' in 'recode'.
1
1 'command'
1 '-c' in 'su'; '-x' in GDB.
1
1 'compare'
1 '-d' in 'tar'.
1
1 'compat'
1 Used in 'gawk'.
1
1 'compress'
1 '-Z' in 'tar' and 'shar'.
1
1 'concatenate'
1 '-A' in 'tar'.
1
1 'confirmation'
1 '-w' in 'tar'.
1
1 'context'
1 Used in 'diff'.
1
1 'copyleft'
1 '-W copyleft' in 'gawk'.
1
1 'copyright'
1 '-C' in 'ptx', 'recode', and 'wdiff'; '-W copyright' in 'gawk'.
1
1 'core'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'count'
1 '-q' in 'who'.
1
1 'count-links'
1 '-l' in 'du'.
1
1 'create'
1 Used in 'tar' and 'cpio'.
1
1 'cut-mark'
1 '-c' in 'shar'.
1
1 'cxref'
1 '-x' in 'ctags'.
1
1 'date'
1 '-d' in 'touch'.
1
1 'debug'
1 '-d' in 'make' and 'm4'; '-t' in Bison.
1
1 'define'
1 '-D' in 'm4'.
1
1 'defines'
1 '-d' in Bison and 'ctags'.
1
1 'delete'
1 '-D' in 'tar'.
1
1 'dereference'
1 '-L' in 'chgrp', 'chown', 'cpio', 'du', 'ls', and 'tar'.
1
1 'dereference-args'
1 '-D' in 'du'.
1
1 'device'
1 Specify an I/O device (special file name).
1
1 'diacritics'
1 '-d' in 'recode'.
1
1 'dictionary-order'
1 '-d' in 'look'.
1
1 'diff'
1 '-d' in 'tar'.
1
1 'digits'
1 '-n' in 'csplit'.
1
1 'directory'
1 Specify the directory to use, in various programs. In 'ls', it
1 means to show directories themselves rather than their contents.
1 In 'rm' and 'ln', it means to not treat links to directories
1 specially.
1
1 'discard-all'
1 '-x' in 'strip'.
1
1 'discard-locals'
1 '-X' in 'strip'.
1
1 'dry-run'
1 '-n' in 'make'.
1
1 'ed'
1 '-e' in 'diff'.
1
1 'elide-empty-files'
1 '-z' in 'csplit'.
1
1 'end-delete'
1 '-x' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'end-insert'
1 '-z' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'entire-new-file'
1 '-N' in 'diff'.
1
1 'environment-overrides'
1 '-e' in 'make'.
1
1 'eof'
1 '-e' in 'xargs'.
1
1 'epoch'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'error-limit'
1 Used in 'makeinfo'.
1
1 'error-output'
1 '-o' in 'm4'.
1
1 'escape'
1 '-b' in 'ls'.
1
1 'exclude-from'
1 '-X' in 'tar'.
1
1 'exec'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'exit'
1 '-x' in 'xargs'.
1
1 'exit-0'
1 '-e' in 'unshar'.
1
1 'expand-tabs'
1 '-t' in 'diff'.
1
1 'expression'
1 '-e' in 'sed'.
1
1 'extern-only'
1 '-g' in 'nm'.
1
1 'extract'
1 '-i' in 'cpio'; '-x' in 'tar'.
1
1 'faces'
1 '-f' in 'finger'.
1
1 'fast'
1 '-f' in 'su'.
1
1 'fatal-warnings'
1 '-E' in 'm4'.
1
1 'file'
1 '-f' in 'gawk', 'info', 'make', 'mt', 'sed', and 'tar'.
1
1 'field-separator'
1 '-F' in 'gawk'.
1
1 'file-prefix'
1 '-b' in Bison.
1
1 'file-type'
1 '-F' in 'ls'.
1
1 'files-from'
1 '-T' in 'tar'.
1
1 'fill-column'
1 Used in 'makeinfo'.
1
1 'flag-truncation'
1 '-F' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'fixed-output-files'
1 '-y' in Bison.
1
1 'follow'
1 '-f' in 'tail'.
1
1 'footnote-style'
1 Used in 'makeinfo'.
1
1 'force'
1 '-f' in 'cp', 'ln', 'mv', and 'rm'.
1
1 'force-prefix'
1 '-F' in 'shar'.
1
1 'foreground'
1 For server programs, run in the foreground; in other words, don't
1 do anything special to run the server in the background.
1
1 'format'
1 Used in 'ls', 'time', and 'ptx'.
1
1 'freeze-state'
1 '-F' in 'm4'.
1
1 'fullname'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'gap-size'
1 '-g' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'get'
1 '-x' in 'tar'.
1
1 'graphic'
1 '-i' in 'ul'.
1
1 'graphics'
1 '-g' in 'recode'.
1
1 'group'
1 '-g' in 'install'.
1
1 'gzip'
1 '-z' in 'tar' and 'shar'.
1
1 'hashsize'
1 '-H' in 'm4'.
1
1 'header'
1 '-h' in 'objdump' and 'recode'
1
1 'heading'
1 '-H' in 'who'.
1
1 'help'
1 Used to ask for brief usage information.
1
1 'here-delimiter'
1 '-d' in 'shar'.
1
1 'hide-control-chars'
1 '-q' in 'ls'.
1
1 'html'
1 In 'makeinfo', output HTML.
1
1 'idle'
1 '-u' in 'who'.
1
1 'ifdef'
1 '-D' in 'diff'.
1
1 'ignore'
1 '-I' in 'ls'; '-x' in 'recode'.
1
1 'ignore-all-space'
1 '-w' in 'diff'.
1
1 'ignore-backups'
1 '-B' in 'ls'.
1
1 'ignore-blank-lines'
1 '-B' in 'diff'.
1
1 'ignore-case'
1 '-f' in 'look' and 'ptx'; '-i' in 'diff' and 'wdiff'.
1
1 'ignore-errors'
1 '-i' in 'make'.
1
1 'ignore-file'
1 '-i' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'ignore-indentation'
1 '-I' in 'etags'.
1
1 'ignore-init-file'
1 '-f' in Oleo.
1
1 'ignore-interrupts'
1 '-i' in 'tee'.
1
1 'ignore-matching-lines'
1 '-I' in 'diff'.
1
1 'ignore-space-change'
1 '-b' in 'diff'.
1
1 'ignore-zeros'
1 '-i' in 'tar'.
1
1 'include'
1 '-i' in 'etags'; '-I' in 'm4'.
1
1 'include-dir'
1 '-I' in 'make'.
1
1 'incremental'
1 '-G' in 'tar'.
1
1 'info'
1 '-i', '-l', and '-m' in Finger.
1
1 'init-file'
1 In some programs, specify the name of the file to read as the
1 user's init file.
1
1 'initial'
1 '-i' in 'expand'.
1
1 'initial-tab'
1 '-T' in 'diff'.
1
1 'inode'
1 '-i' in 'ls'.
1
1 'interactive'
1 '-i' in 'cp', 'ln', 'mv', 'rm'; '-e' in 'm4'; '-p' in 'xargs'; '-w'
1 in 'tar'.
1
1 'intermix-type'
1 '-p' in 'shar'.
1
1 'iso-8601'
1 Used in 'date'
1
1 'jobs'
1 '-j' in 'make'.
1
1 'just-print'
1 '-n' in 'make'.
1
1 'keep-going'
1 '-k' in 'make'.
1
1 'keep-files'
1 '-k' in 'csplit'.
1
1 'kilobytes'
1 '-k' in 'du' and 'ls'.
1
1 'language'
1 '-l' in 'etags'.
1
1 'less-mode'
1 '-l' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'level-for-gzip'
1 '-g' in 'shar'.
1
1 'line-bytes'
1 '-C' in 'split'.
1
1 'lines'
1 Used in 'split', 'head', and 'tail'.
1
1 'link'
1 '-l' in 'cpio'.
1
1 'lint'
1 'lint-old'
1 Used in 'gawk'.
1
1 'list'
1 '-t' in 'cpio'; '-l' in 'recode'.
1
1 'list'
1 '-t' in 'tar'.
1
1 'literal'
1 '-N' in 'ls'.
1
1 'load-average'
1 '-l' in 'make'.
1
1 'login'
1 Used in 'su'.
1
1 'machine'
1 Used in 'uname'.
1
1 'macro-name'
1 '-M' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'mail'
1 '-m' in 'hello' and 'uname'.
1
1 'make-directories'
1 '-d' in 'cpio'.
1
1 'makefile'
1 '-f' in 'make'.
1
1 'mapped'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'max-args'
1 '-n' in 'xargs'.
1
1 'max-chars'
1 '-n' in 'xargs'.
1
1 'max-lines'
1 '-l' in 'xargs'.
1
1 'max-load'
1 '-l' in 'make'.
1
1 'max-procs'
1 '-P' in 'xargs'.
1
1 'mesg'
1 '-T' in 'who'.
1
1 'message'
1 '-T' in 'who'.
1
1 'minimal'
1 '-d' in 'diff'.
1
1 'mixed-uuencode'
1 '-M' in 'shar'.
1
1 'mode'
1 '-m' in 'install', 'mkdir', and 'mkfifo'.
1
1 'modification-time'
1 '-m' in 'tar'.
1
1 'multi-volume'
1 '-M' in 'tar'.
1
1 'name-prefix'
1 '-a' in Bison.
1
1 'nesting-limit'
1 '-L' in 'm4'.
1
1 'net-headers'
1 '-a' in 'shar'.
1
1 'new-file'
1 '-W' in 'make'.
1
1 'no-builtin-rules'
1 '-r' in 'make'.
1
1 'no-character-count'
1 '-w' in 'shar'.
1
1 'no-check-existing'
1 '-x' in 'shar'.
1
1 'no-common'
1 '-3' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'no-create'
1 '-c' in 'touch'.
1
1 'no-defines'
1 '-D' in 'etags'.
1
1 'no-deleted'
1 '-1' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'no-dereference'
1 '-d' in 'cp'.
1
1 'no-inserted'
1 '-2' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'no-keep-going'
1 '-S' in 'make'.
1
1 'no-lines'
1 '-l' in Bison.
1
1 'no-piping'
1 '-P' in 'shar'.
1
1 'no-prof'
1 '-e' in 'gprof'.
1
1 'no-regex'
1 '-R' in 'etags'.
1
1 'no-sort'
1 '-p' in 'nm'.
1
1 'no-splash'
1 Don't print a startup splash screen.
1
1 'no-split'
1 Used in 'makeinfo'.
1
1 'no-static'
1 '-a' in 'gprof'.
1
1 'no-time'
1 '-E' in 'gprof'.
1
1 'no-timestamp'
1 '-m' in 'shar'.
1
1 'no-validate'
1 Used in 'makeinfo'.
1
1 'no-wait'
1 Used in 'emacsclient'.
1
1 'no-warn'
1 Used in various programs to inhibit warnings.
1
1 'node'
1 '-n' in 'info'.
1
1 'nodename'
1 '-n' in 'uname'.
1
1 'nonmatching'
1 '-f' in 'cpio'.
1
1 'nstuff'
1 '-n' in 'objdump'.
1
1 'null'
1 '-0' in 'xargs'.
1
1 'number'
1 '-n' in 'cat'.
1
1 'number-nonblank'
1 '-b' in 'cat'.
1
1 'numeric-sort'
1 '-n' in 'nm'.
1
1 'numeric-uid-gid'
1 '-n' in 'cpio' and 'ls'.
1
1 'nx'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'old-archive'
1 '-o' in 'tar'.
1
1 'old-file'
1 '-o' in 'make'.
1
1 'one-file-system'
1 '-l' in 'tar', 'cp', and 'du'.
1
1 'only-file'
1 '-o' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'only-prof'
1 '-f' in 'gprof'.
1
1 'only-time'
1 '-F' in 'gprof'.
1
1 'options'
1 '-o' in 'getopt', 'fdlist', 'fdmount', 'fdmountd', and 'fdumount'.
1
1 'output'
1 In various programs, specify the output file name.
1
1 'output-prefix'
1 '-o' in 'shar'.
1
1 'override'
1 '-o' in 'rm'.
1
1 'overwrite'
1 '-c' in 'unshar'.
1
1 'owner'
1 '-o' in 'install'.
1
1 'paginate'
1 '-l' in 'diff'.
1
1 'paragraph-indent'
1 Used in 'makeinfo'.
1
1 'parents'
1 '-p' in 'mkdir' and 'rmdir'.
1
1 'pass-all'
1 '-p' in 'ul'.
1
1 'pass-through'
1 '-p' in 'cpio'.
1
1 'port'
1 '-P' in 'finger'.
1
1 'portability'
1 '-c' in 'cpio' and 'tar'.
1
1 'posix'
1 Used in 'gawk'.
1
1 'prefix-builtins'
1 '-P' in 'm4'.
1
1 'prefix'
1 '-f' in 'csplit'.
1
1 'preserve'
1 Used in 'tar' and 'cp'.
1
1 'preserve-environment'
1 '-p' in 'su'.
1
1 'preserve-modification-time'
1 '-m' in 'cpio'.
1
1 'preserve-order'
1 '-s' in 'tar'.
1
1 'preserve-permissions'
1 '-p' in 'tar'.
1
1 'print'
1 '-l' in 'diff'.
1
1 'print-chars'
1 '-L' in 'cmp'.
1
1 'print-data-base'
1 '-p' in 'make'.
1
1 'print-directory'
1 '-w' in 'make'.
1
1 'print-file-name'
1 '-o' in 'nm'.
1
1 'print-symdefs'
1 '-s' in 'nm'.
1
1 'printer'
1 '-p' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'prompt'
1 '-p' in 'ed'.
1
1 'proxy'
1 Specify an HTTP proxy.
1
1 'query-user'
1 '-X' in 'shar'.
1
1 'question'
1 '-q' in 'make'.
1
1 'quiet'
1 Used in many programs to inhibit the usual output. Every program
1 accepting '--quiet' should accept '--silent' as a synonym.
1
1 'quiet-unshar'
1 '-Q' in 'shar'
1
1 'quote-name'
1 '-Q' in 'ls'.
1
1 'rcs'
1 '-n' in 'diff'.
1
1 're-interval'
1 Used in 'gawk'.
1
1 'read-full-blocks'
1 '-B' in 'tar'.
1
1 'readnow'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'recon'
1 '-n' in 'make'.
1
1 'record-number'
1 '-R' in 'tar'.
1
1 'recursive'
1 Used in 'chgrp', 'chown', 'cp', 'ls', 'diff', and 'rm'.
1
1 'reference'
1 '-r' in 'touch'.
1
1 'references'
1 '-r' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'regex'
1 '-r' in 'tac' and 'etags'.
1
1 'release'
1 '-r' in 'uname'.
1
1 'reload-state'
1 '-R' in 'm4'.
1
1 'relocation'
1 '-r' in 'objdump'.
1
1 'rename'
1 '-r' in 'cpio'.
1
1 'replace'
1 '-i' in 'xargs'.
1
1 'report-identical-files'
1 '-s' in 'diff'.
1
1 'reset-access-time'
1 '-a' in 'cpio'.
1
1 'reverse'
1 '-r' in 'ls' and 'nm'.
1
1 'reversed-ed'
1 '-f' in 'diff'.
1
1 'right-side-defs'
1 '-R' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'same-order'
1 '-s' in 'tar'.
1
1 'same-permissions'
1 '-p' in 'tar'.
1
1 'save'
1 '-g' in 'stty'.
1
1 'se'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'sentence-regexp'
1 '-S' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'separate-dirs'
1 '-S' in 'du'.
1
1 'separator'
1 '-s' in 'tac'.
1
1 'sequence'
1 Used by 'recode' to chose files or pipes for sequencing passes.
1
1 'shell'
1 '-s' in 'su'.
1
1 'show-all'
1 '-A' in 'cat'.
1
1 'show-c-function'
1 '-p' in 'diff'.
1
1 'show-ends'
1 '-E' in 'cat'.
1
1 'show-function-line'
1 '-F' in 'diff'.
1
1 'show-tabs'
1 '-T' in 'cat'.
1
1 'silent'
1 Used in many programs to inhibit the usual output. Every program
1 accepting '--silent' should accept '--quiet' as a synonym.
1
1 'size'
1 '-s' in 'ls'.
1
1 'socket'
1 Specify a file descriptor for a network server to use for its
1 socket, instead of opening and binding a new socket. This provides
1 a way to run, in a non-privileged process, a server that normally
1 needs a reserved port number.
1
1 'sort'
1 Used in 'ls'.
1
1 'source'
1 '-W source' in 'gawk'.
1
1 'sparse'
1 '-S' in 'tar'.
1
1 'speed-large-files'
1 '-H' in 'diff'.
1
1 'split-at'
1 '-E' in 'unshar'.
1
1 'split-size-limit'
1 '-L' in 'shar'.
1
1 'squeeze-blank'
1 '-s' in 'cat'.
1
1 'start-delete'
1 '-w' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'start-insert'
1 '-y' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'starting-file'
1 Used in 'tar' and 'diff' to specify which file within a directory
1 to start processing with.
1
1 'statistics'
1 '-s' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'stdin-file-list'
1 '-S' in 'shar'.
1
1 'stop'
1 '-S' in 'make'.
1
1 'strict'
1 '-s' in 'recode'.
1
1 'strip'
1 '-s' in 'install'.
1
1 'strip-all'
1 '-s' in 'strip'.
1
1 'strip-debug'
1 '-S' in 'strip'.
1
1 'submitter'
1 '-s' in 'shar'.
1
1 'suffix'
1 '-S' in 'cp', 'ln', 'mv'.
1
1 'suffix-format'
1 '-b' in 'csplit'.
1
1 'sum'
1 '-s' in 'gprof'.
1
1 'summarize'
1 '-s' in 'du'.
1
1 'symbolic'
1 '-s' in 'ln'.
1
1 'symbols'
1 Used in GDB and 'objdump'.
1
1 'synclines'
1 '-s' in 'm4'.
1
1 'sysname'
1 '-s' in 'uname'.
1
1 'tabs'
1 '-t' in 'expand' and 'unexpand'.
1
1 'tabsize'
1 '-T' in 'ls'.
1
1 'terminal'
1 '-T' in 'tput' and 'ul'. '-t' in 'wdiff'.
1
1 'text'
1 '-a' in 'diff'.
1
1 'text-files'
1 '-T' in 'shar'.
1
1 'time'
1 Used in 'ls' and 'touch'.
1
1 'timeout'
1 Specify how long to wait before giving up on some operation.
1
1 'to-stdout'
1 '-O' in 'tar'.
1
1 'total'
1 '-c' in 'du'.
1
1 'touch'
1 '-t' in 'make', 'ranlib', and 'recode'.
1
1 'trace'
1 '-t' in 'm4'.
1
1 'traditional'
1 '-t' in 'hello'; '-W traditional' in 'gawk'; '-G' in 'ed', 'm4',
1 and 'ptx'.
1
1 'tty'
1 Used in GDB.
1
1 'typedefs'
1 '-t' in 'ctags'.
1
1 'typedefs-and-c++'
1 '-T' in 'ctags'.
1
1 'typeset-mode'
1 '-t' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'uncompress'
1 '-z' in 'tar'.
1
1 'unconditional'
1 '-u' in 'cpio'.
1
1 'undefine'
1 '-U' in 'm4'.
1
1 'undefined-only'
1 '-u' in 'nm'.
1
1 'update'
1 '-u' in 'cp', 'ctags', 'mv', 'tar'.
1
1 'usage'
1 Used in 'gawk'; same as '--help'.
1
1 'uuencode'
1 '-B' in 'shar'.
1
1 'vanilla-operation'
1 '-V' in 'shar'.
1
1 'verbose'
1 Print more information about progress. Many programs support this.
1
1 'verify'
1 '-W' in 'tar'.
1
1 'version'
1 Print the version number.
1
1 'version-control'
1 '-V' in 'cp', 'ln', 'mv'.
1
1 'vgrind'
1 '-v' in 'ctags'.
1
1 'volume'
1 '-V' in 'tar'.
1
1 'what-if'
1 '-W' in 'make'.
1
1 'whole-size-limit'
1 '-l' in 'shar'.
1
1 'width'
1 '-w' in 'ls' and 'ptx'.
1
1 'word-regexp'
1 '-W' in 'ptx'.
1
1 'writable'
1 '-T' in 'who'.
1
1 'zeros'
1 '-z' in 'gprof'.
1