CMP(1)                                                     CMP(1)

     NAME
          cmp - compare two files

     SYNOPSIS
          cmp [ -lsL ] file1 file2 [ offset1 [ offset2 ] ]

     DESCRIPTION
          The two files are compared.  A diagnostic results if the
          contents differ, otherwise there is no output.

          The options are:

          l    Print the byte number (decimal) and the differing bytes
               (hexadecimal) for each difference.

          s    Print nothing for differing files, but set the exit
               status.

          L    Print the line number of the first differing byte.

          If offsets are given, comparison starts at the designated
          byte position of the corresponding file.  Offsets that begin
          with 0x are hexadecimal; with 0, octal; with anything else,
          decimal.

     SEE ALSO
          diff(1)

     DIAGNOSTICS
          If a file is inaccessible or missing, the exit status is
          `open'.  If the files are the same, the exit status is
          `empty'.  If they are the same except that one is longer
          than the other, the exit status is `EOF'.  Otherwise cmp
          reports the position of the first disagreeing byte and the
          exit status is `differ'.

     Page 1                       Plan 9            (printed 10/28/25)