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hd

displays file contents in hexadecimal format

TLDR

Display file in hex
$ hd [file]
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Show first 100 bytes
$ hd -n 100 [file]
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Skip first 50 bytes
$ hd -s 50 [file]
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One-byte octal display
$ hd -b [file]
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Canonical hex+ASCII display
$ hd -C [file]
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SYNOPSIS

hd [options] [file]

DESCRIPTION

hd displays file contents in hexadecimal format. It's equivalent to hexdump -C, showing both hex values and ASCII representation.The tool is useful for examining binary files, analyzing data formats, and debugging. It formats output in readable columns.

PARAMETERS

FILE

File to display.
-n LENGTH
Number of bytes to display.
-s OFFSET
Skip offset bytes.
-b
One-byte octal display.
-C
Canonical hex+ASCII display.
-v
Display all data (no suppression).
--help
Display help information.

CAVEATS

Alias for hexdump -C on many systems. Large files produce extensive output. Binary data shown as dots in ASCII column.

HISTORY

hd is typically a symlink to hexdump from BSD utilities, providing convenient hex dump functionality.

SEE ALSO

hexdump(1), xxd(1), od(1)

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