xargs

NAME

       xargs  -  build  and  execute  command lines from standard
       input

SYNOPSIS

       xargs [-0prtx]  [-e[eof-str]]  [-i[replace-str]]  [-l[max-
       lines]]   [-n  max-args]  [-s  max-chars]  [-P  max-procs]
       [--null]    [--eof[=eof-str]]    [--replace[=replace-str]]
       [--max-lines[=max-lines]]      [--interactive]     [--max-
       chars=max-chars]  [--verbose]  [--exit]  [--max-procs=max-
       procs]  [--max-args=max-args]  [--no-run-if-empty] [--ver-
       sion] [--help] [command [initial-arguments]]

DESCRIPTION

       This manual page  documents  the  GNU  version  of  xargs.
       xargs  reads  arguments from the standard input, delimited
       by blanks (which can be protected with  double  or  single
       quotes  or a backslash) or newlines, and executes the com-
       mand (default is /bin/echo) one or  more  times  with  any
       initial-arguments followed by arguments read from standard
       input.  Blank lines on the standard input are ignored.

       xargs exits with the following status:
       0 if it succeeds
       123 if any invocation of the command exited with status 1-125
       124 if the command exited with status 255
       125 if the command is killed by a signal
       126 if the command cannot be run
       127 if the command is not found
       1 if some other error occurred.

   OPTIONS
       --null, -0
              Input filenames are terminated by a null  character
              instead  of by whitespace, and the quotes and back-
              slash are not special  (every  character  is  taken
              literally).  Disables the end of file string, which
              is treated like any other  argument.   Useful  when
              arguments  might  contain white space, quote marks,
              or backslashes.  The GNU find -print0  option  pro-
              duces input suitable for this mode.

       --eof[=eof-str], -e[eof-str]
              Set  the end of file string to eof-str.  If the end
              of file string occurs as a line of input, the  rest
              of  the  input  is ignored.  If eof-str is omitted,
              there is no end of file string.  If this option  is
              not  given, the end of file string defaults to "_".

       --help Print a summary of the options to xargs and exit.

       --replace[=replace-str], -i[replace-str]
              Replace occurences of replace-str  in  the  initial
              arguments  with  names  read  from  standard input.
              Also, unquoted blanks do not  terminate  arguments.
              If  replace-str  is  omitted,  it  defaults to "{}"
              (like for `find -exec').  Implies -x and -l 1.

       --max-lines[=max-lines], -l[max-lines]
              Use at most max-lines nonblank input lines per com-
              mand  line;  max-lines  defaults  to  1 if omitted.
              Trailing blanks cause an input line to be logically
              continued on the next input line.  Implies -x.

       --max-args=max-args, -n max-args
              Use  at  most  max-args arguments per command line.
              Fewer than max-args arguments will be used  if  the
              size (see the -s option) is exceeded, unless the -x
              option is given, in which case xargs will exit.

       --interactive, -p
              Prompt the user about whether to run  each  command
              line  and  read a line from the terminal.  Only run
              the command line if the response starts with `y' or
              `Y'.  Implies -t.

       --no-run-if-empty, -r
              If  the  standard  input  does not contain any non-
              blanks, do not run the command.  Normally, the com-
              mand is run once even if there is no input.

       --max-chars=max-chars, -s max-chars
              Use  at most max-chars characters per command line,
              including the command and initial arguments and the
              terminating  nulls  at  the  ends  of  the argument
              strings.  The default is as large as  possible,  up
              to 20k characters.

       --verbose, -t
              Print the command line on the standard error output
              before executing it.

       --version
              Print the version number of xargs and exit.

       --exit, -x
              Exit if the size (see the -s option) is exceeded.

       --max-procs=max-procs, -P max-procs
              Run up  to  max-procs  processes  at  a  time;  the
              default is 1.  If max-procs is 0, xargs will run as
              many processes as possible at a time.  Use  the  -n
              option with -P; otherwise chances are that only one
              exec will be done.

SEE ALSO

       find(1L), locate(1L),  locatedb(5L),  updatedb(1)  Finding
       Files (on-line in Info, or printed)