Linux-cliHow-ToBeginner · 3 min read

How to Use stat Command in Linux: Syntax and Examples

Use the stat command in Linux to display detailed information about files or directories, such as size, permissions, and timestamps. The basic syntax is stat [options] filename, which outputs file metadata in a readable format.

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Syntax

The basic syntax of the stat command is:

stat [options] <file>: Displays detailed information about the specified file or directory.
options: Optional flags to customize output, like -c for custom format.
file: The path to the file or directory you want to inspect.

bash

stat [options] <file>

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Example

This example shows how to use stat to get detailed info about a file named example.txt. It displays size, permissions, owner, and timestamps.

bash

stat example.txt

Output

File: example.txt Size: 1234 Blocks: 8 IO Block: 4096 regular file Device: 802h/2050d Inode: 131073 Links: 1 Access: 2024-06-01 10:00:00.000000000 +0000 Modify: 2024-06-01 09:50:00.000000000 +0000 Change: 2024-06-01 09:55:00.000000000 +0000 Birth: -

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Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using stat include:

Trying to use stat on a non-existent file, which causes an error.
Not specifying the correct file path, leading to unexpected results.
Confusing stat output with ls -l output; stat shows more detailed metadata.

Always check the file path and existence before running stat.

bash

stat nonexistentfile.txt
# Output: stat: cannot stat 'nonexistentfile.txt': No such file or directory

Output

stat: cannot stat 'nonexistentfile.txt': No such file or directory

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Quick Reference

Option	Description
-c	Custom output format using format sequences
-f	Display file system status instead of file status
-t	Print output in terse form
--help	Show help message and exit
--version	Show version information and exit

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Key Takeaways

Use stat filename to get detailed file information including size, permissions, and timestamps.

Always verify the file path exists to avoid errors with stat.

Use -c option to customize the output format for scripting needs.

Remember stat shows more detailed metadata than ls -l.

Use stat -f to get file system information instead of file details.