man > strings(1)

STRINGS(1)                              GNU Development Tools                             STRINGS(1)

NAME
       strings - print the sequences of printable characters in files

SYNOPSIS
       strings [-afovV] [-min-len]
               [-n min-len] [--bytes=min-len]
               [-t radix] [--radix=radix]
               [-e encoding] [--encoding=encoding]
               [-U method] [--unicode=method]
               [-] [--all] [--print-file-name]
               [-T bfdname] [--target=bfdname]
               [-w] [--include-all-whitespace]
               [-s] [--output-separator sep_string]
               [--help] [--version] file...

DESCRIPTION
       For each file given, GNU strings prints the printable character sequences that are at least 4
       characters long (or the number given with the options below) and are followed by an
       unprintable character.

       Depending upon how the strings program was configured it will default to either displaying
       all the printable sequences that it can find in each file, or only those sequences that are
       in loadable, initialized data sections.  If the file type is unrecognizable, or if strings is
       reading from stdin then it will always display all of the printable sequences that it can
       find.

       For backwards compatibility any file that occurs after a command-line option of just - will
       also be scanned in full, regardless of the presence of any -d option.

       strings is mainly useful for determining the contents of non-text files.

OPTIONS
       -a
       --all
       -   Scan  the  whole  file, regardless of what sections it contains or whether those sections
           are loaded or initialized.  Normally this is the default behaviour, but  strings  can  be
           configured so that the -d is the default instead.

           The  -  option is position dependent and forces strings to perform full scans of any file
           that is mentioned after the - on the command  line,  even  if  the  -d  option  has  been
           specified.

       -d
       --data
           Only  print  strings from initialized, loaded data sections in the file.  This may reduce
           the amount of garbage in the output, but it also  exposes  the  strings  program  to  any
           security  flaws  that  may  be present in the BFD library used to scan and load sections.
           Strings can be configured so that this option is the default behaviour.   In  such  cases
           the  -a  option  can be used to avoid using the BFD library and instead just print all of
           the strings found in the file.

       -f
       --print-file-name
           Print the name of the file before each string.

       --help
           Print a summary of the program usage on the standard output and exit.

       -min-len
       -n min-len
       --bytes=min-len
           Print sequences of displayable characters that are at least min-len characters long.   If
           not specified a default minimum length of 4 is used.  The distinction between displayable
           and  non-displayable  characters  depends  upon  the  setting  of  the -e and -U options.
           Sequences are always terminated at control characters  such  as  new-line  and  carriage-
           return, but not the tab character.

       -o  Like  -t  o.  Some other versions of strings have -o act like -t d instead.  Since we can
           not be compatible with both ways, we simply chose one.

       -t radix
       --radix=radix
           Print the offset within the file before  each  string.   The  single  character  argument
           specifies the radix of the offset---o for octal, x for hexadecimal, or d for decimal.

       -e encoding
       --encoding=encoding
           Select  the  character encoding of the strings that are to be found.  Possible values for
           encoding  are:  s  =  single-7-bit-byte  characters  (default),  S  =   single-8-bit-byte
           characters,  b  =  16-bit  bigendian,  l = 16-bit littleendian, B = 32-bit bigendian, L =
           32-bit littleendian.  Useful for finding wide character strings. (l and b apply  to,  for
           example, Unicode UTF-16/UCS-2 encodings).

       -U [d|i|l|e|x|h]
       --unicode=[default|invalid|locale|escape|hex|highlight]
           Controls  the  display  of  UTF-8  encoded  multibyte characters in strings.  The default
           (--unicode=default) is to give them no special  treatment,  and  instead  rely  upon  the
           setting  of the --encoding option.  The other values for this option automatically enable
           --encoding=S.

           The --unicode=invalid option treats them as non-graphic characters and hence not part  of
           a valid string.  All the remaining options treat them as valid string characters.

           The  --unicode=locale  option  displays  them in the current locale, which may or may not
           support UTF-8 encoding.  The --unicode=hex option displays them  as  hex  byte  sequences
           enclosed  between  <>  characters.   The  --unicode=escape option displays them as escape
           sequences (\uxxxx) and the --unicode=highlight option displays them as  escape  sequences
           highlighted  in  red  (if  supported by the output device).  The colouring is intended to
           draw attention to the presence of unicode sequences where they might not be expected.

       -T bfdname
       --target=bfdname
           Specify an object code format other than your system's default format.

       -v
       -V
       --version
           Print the program version number on the standard output and exit.

       -w
       --include-all-whitespace
           By default tab and space characters are included in the strings that are  displayed,  but
           other  whitespace  characters,  such  a  newlines  and carriage returns, are not.  The -w
           option changes this so that all whitespace characters are considered  to  be  part  of  a
           string.

       -s
       --output-separator
           By  default, output strings are delimited by a new-line. This option allows you to supply
           any   string   to   be   used   as   the   output   record   separator.    Useful    with
           --include-all-whitespace where strings may contain new-lines internally.

       @file
           Read  command-line  options  from  file.   The  options read are inserted in place of the
           original @file option.  If file does not exist, or cannot be read, then the  option  will
           be treated literally, and not removed.

           Options  in  file are separated by whitespace.  A whitespace character may be included in
           an option by surrounding the entire option  in  either  single  or  double  quotes.   Any
           character  (including  a  backslash)  may  be  included  by prefixing the character to be
           included with a backslash.  The file may itself contain  additional  @file  options;  any
           such options will be processed recursively.

SEE ALSO
       ar(1), nm(1), objdump(1), ranlib(1), readelf(1) and the Info entries for binutils.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (c) 1991-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

       Permission  is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the
       GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or  any  later  version  published  by  the  Free
       Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-
       Cover  Texts.   A  copy  of  the  license  is  included  in  the  section  entitled "GNU Free
       Documentation License".

binutils-2.42                                2026-02-09                                   STRINGS(1)