1FDUPES(1) General Commands Manual FDUPES(1)
2
6 fdupes - finds duplicate files in a given set of directories
7
9 fdupes [ options ] DIRECTORY ...
10
13 Searches the given path for duplicate files. Such files are found by
14 comparing file sizes and MD5 signatures, followed by a byte-by-byte
15 comparison.
16
19 -r --recurse
20 for every directory given follow subdirectories encountered
21 within
22 -R --recurse:
24 for each directory given after this option follow subdirectories
25 encountered within (note the ':' at the end of option; see the
26 Examples section below for further explanation)
27 -s --symlinks
29 follow symlinked directories
30 -H --hardlinks
32 normally, when two or more files point to the same disk area
33 they are treated as non-duplicates; this option will change this
34 behavior
35 -G --minsize=SIZE
37 consider only files greater than or equal to SIZE
38 -L --maxsize==SIZE
40 consider only files less than or equal to SIZE
41 -n --noempty
43 exclude zero-length files from consideration
44 -A --nohidden
46 exclude hidden files from consideration
47 -f --omitfirst
49 omit the first file in each set of matches
50 -1 --sameline
52 list each set of matches on a single line
53 -S --size
55 show size of duplicate files
56 -t --time
58 show modification time of duplicate files
59 -m --summarize
61 summarize duplicate file information
62 -q --quiet
64 hide progress indicator
65 -d --delete
67 prompt user for files to preserve, deleting all others (see
68 CAVEATS below)
69 -P --plain
71 with --delete, use line-based prompt (as with older versions of
72 fdupes) instead of screen-mode interface
73 -N --noprompt
75 when used together with --delete, preserve the first file in
76 each set of duplicates and delete the others without prompting
77 the user
78 -I --immediate
80 delete duplicates as they are encountered, without grouping into
81 sets; implies --noprompt
82 -p --permissions
84 don't consider files with different owner/group or permission
85 bits as duplicates
86 -o --order=WORD
88 order files according to WORD: time - sort by modification time,
89 ctime - sort by status change time, name - sort by filename
90 -i --reverse
92 reverse order while sorting
93 -l --log=LOGFILE
95 log file deletion choices to LOGFILE
96 -v --version
98 display fdupes version
99 -h --help
101 displays help
102
104 md5sum(1)
105
107 Unless -1 or --sameline is specified, duplicate files are listed
108 together in groups, each file displayed on a separate line. The groups
109 are then separated from each other by blank lines.
110 When -1 or --sameline is specified, spaces and backslash characters
112 (\) appearing in a filename are preceded by a backslash character.
113
116 fdupes a --recurse: b
117 will follow subdirectories under b, but not those under a.
118 fdupes a --recurse b
120 will follow subdirectories under both a and b.
121
124 If fdupes returns with an error message such as fdupes: error invoking
125 md5sum it means the program has been compiled to use an external pro‐
126 gram to calculate MD5 signatures (otherwise, fdupes uses internal rou‐
127 tines for this purpose), and an error has occurred while attempting to
128 execute it. If this is the case, the specified program should be prop‐
129 erly installed prior to running fdupes.
130 When using -d or --delete, care should be taken to insure against acci‐
132 dental data loss.
133 When used together with options -s or --symlink, a user could acciden‐
135 tally preserve a symlink while deleting the file it points to.
136 Furthermore, when specifying a particular directory more than once, all
138 files within that directory will be listed as their own duplicates,
139 leading to data loss should a user preserve a file without its "dupli‐
140 cate" (the file itself!).
141
144 Adrian Lopez <adrian2@caribe.net>
145 FDUPES(1)