Common options:¶

-h, --help

Print help message

-V, --version

Print version info

-v, --verbose

Print verbosely while processing

-q, --quiet

Only print fatal erros and requested output

-s, --silent

Alias of --quiet

-9, --format=TYPE

compile expressions to TYPE automata

Regexp selection and interpretation:¶

-E, --extended-regexp

PATTERN is an extended regular expression (ERE)

-F, --fixed-strings

PATTERN is a set of newline-separated fixed strings

-G, --basic-regexp

PATTERN is a basic regular expression (BRE)

-P, --perl-regexp

PATTERN is a Perl regular expression

-X, --xerox-regexp

PATTERN is a Xerox regulare expression

-e, --regexp=PATTERN

use PATTERN for matching

-f, --file=FILE

obtain PATTERN from FILE

-I, --ignore-case

ignore case distinctions

-w, --word-regexp

force PATTERN to match only whole words

-x, --line-regexp

force PATTERN to match only whole lines

-z, --null-data

a data line ends in 0 byte, not newline

Miscellaneous options:¶

--no-messages

suppress error messages

--invert-match

select non-matching lines

Output control:¶

-m, --max-count=NUM

stop after NUM matches\n -b, --byte-offset print the byte offset with output lines

-n, --line-number

print line number with output lines

--line-buffered

flush output on every line

-H, --with-filename

print the filename for each match

-h, --no-filename

suppress the prefixing filename on output

--label=LABEL

print LABEL as filename for standard input

-o, --only-matching

show only the part of a line matching PATTERN

--binary-files=TYPE

assume that binary files are TYPE; TYPE is `binary', `text', or `without-match'

-a, --text

equivalent to --binary-files=text

-d, --directories=ACTION

how to handle directories; ACTION is `read', `recurse', or `skip'

-D, --devices=ACTION

how to handle devices, FIFOs and sockets; ACTION is `read' or `skip'

-R, -r, --recursive

equivalent to --directories=recurse

--include=FILE_PATTERN

search only files that match FILE_PATTERN

--exclude=FILE_PATTERN

skip files and directories matching FILE_PATTERN

--exclude-from=FILE

skip files matching any file pattern from FILE

--exclude-dir=PATTERN

directories that match PATTERN will be skipped

-L, --files-without-match

print only names of FILEs containing no match

-l, --files-with-matches

print only names of FILEs containing matches

-c, --count

print only a count of matching lines per FILE

-T, --initial-tab

make tabs line up (if needed)

-Z, --null

print 0 byte after FILE name

Context control:¶

-B, --before-context=NUM

print NUM lines of leading context

-A, --after-context=NUM

print NUM lines of trailing context

-C, --context=NUM

print NUM lines of output context

--color[=WHEN],

--colour[=WHEN]

use markers to highlight the matching strings; WHEN is `always', `never', or `auto'

-U, --binary

do not strip CR characters at EOL (MSDOS)

-u, --unix-byte-offsets

report offsets as if CRs were not there (MSDOS)