mtype

mtype [options] MS-DOS_file [MS-DOS_file ...]

-t
    Displays the file in text mode, performing default CR/LF conversion. This is generally the default behavior.

-s
    Suppresses error messages, allowing the command to continue even if a file is not found or inaccessible.

-a
    An alias for the -t option, ensuring the file is treated as an ASCII text file.

-r
    Raw mode. Displays the file exactly as it is, without any CR/LF conversion.

-x
    EBCDIC conversion mode. Converts EBCDIC characters in the file to ASCII before displaying.

-h
    Hexadecimal dump mode. Displays the file content as a hexadecimal and ASCII dump, useful for inspecting binary files.

-M
    Forces mtype to use the mtools default drive, often A: or B:, as specified in the mtools configuration.

-D
    Enables debug mode, printing verbose information about the command's execution, useful for troubleshooting.

-V
    Prints the version information of the mtools package to which mtype belongs.

mtype is a command-line utility from the mtools suite, designed to display the contents of files located on MS-DOS filesystems. It functions similarly to the Unix cat command, but is specifically tailored to interact with FAT (File Allocation Table) based media, such as floppy disks, USB drives formatted with FAT, or disk images containing DOS partitions.

A key feature of mtype is its ability to handle DOS-specific attributes and filename conventions, including the 8.3 filename format. By default, it performs line-ending conversion, transforming DOS-style CR/LF (carriage return/line feed) sequences into Unix-style LF (line feed) sequences, making the output readable on standard Unix terminals. This behavior can be altered using various options.

mtype is particularly useful for examining configuration files, READMEs, or data files on legacy media without needing to mount the entire DOS filesystem, providing a quick and direct way to peek into the contents of these files. Its reliance on the mtools configuration allows it to seamlessly map DOS drive letters to Linux devices.

mtype relies heavily on the mtools configuration file (e.g., /etc/mtools.conf or ~/.mtools) for drive mappings and other settings. Incorrect or missing configuration can prevent it from locating or accessing MS-DOS filesystems.

It is primarily designed for FAT filesystems and may not fully support more modern filesystem types like NTFS, HFS+, or ext4.

Performance can be slower for very large files compared to native cat on mounted filesystems, especially if the underlying media is slow.

mtype's functionality is deeply tied to the mtools configuration. Users should consult the mtools.conf man page to understand how drive letters are mapped to physical devices and how default behaviors are set, as this directly affects mtype's ability to find and process files.

Like other mtools commands, mtype supports DOS-style wildcards (* and ?) when specifying filenames, allowing for pattern-based file selection.

The mtools package, which includes mtype, emerged in the early days of Linux and Unix systems when interoperability with MS-DOS was a frequent requirement, especially for exchanging data via floppy disks. The project was conceived to provide a set of simple, command-line utilities that could read, write, and manipulate files on FAT filesystems without needing to mount them. This allowed users to quickly access DOS media without full filesystem integration, addressing a significant need for cross-platform data transfer. While its primary use case has evolved with the decline of physical DOS media, mtools continues to be maintained for working with legacy systems, embedded devices, or virtual disk images containing FAT partitions.

mtools(1), mcopy(1), mdir(1), mmd(1), mrd(1), cat(1)