Linux in a Nutshell, 6th Edition

Name

test

Synopsis

test condition
or
[ condition ]
or
[[ condition ]]

Evaluate a condition and, if its value is true, return a zero exit status; otherwise, return a nonzero exit status. An alternate form of the command uses [ ] rather than the word test. An additional alternate form uses [[ ]], in which case word splitting and pathname expansion are not done. (See the [[ ]] entry.) condition is constructed using the following expressions. Conditions are true if the description holds true.

File conditions

-a file, -e file

file exists.

-b file

file exists and is a block special file.

-c file

file exists and is a character special file.

-d file

file exists and is a directory.

-f file

file exists and is a regular file.

-g file

file exists, and its set-group-id bit is set.

-G file

file exists, and its group is the effective group ID.

-h file, -L file

file exists and is a symbolic link.

-k file

file exists, and its sticky bit is set.

-N file

file exists and was modified after it was last read.

-O file

file exists, and its owner is the effective user ID.

-p file

file exists and is a named pipe (FIFO).

-r file

file exists and is readable.

-s file

file exists and has a size greater than zero.

-S file

file exists and is a socket.

-t [n]

The open file descriptor n is associated with a terminal device; default n is 1.

-u file

file exists, and its set-user-id bit is set.

-w file

file exists and is writable.

-x file

file exists and is executable.

f1 -ef f2

Files f1 and f2 are linked (refer to same file).

f1 -nt f2

File f1 is newer than ...