How to use the command 'hexyl' (with examples)

The ‘hexyl’ command is a simple hex viewer for the terminal. It is used to print the hexadecimal representation of a file, allowing the user to view the contents in a more visually organized manner. Hexyl uses colored output to distinguish different categories of bytes, making it easier to understand the data.

Use case 1: Print the hexadecimal representation of a file

Code:

hexyl path/to/file

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you need to quickly view the contents of a file in a hexadecimal format. It provides a detailed representation of each byte, allowing you to analyze the data in a more granular way.

Explanation: In this use case, the ‘hexyl’ command is followed by the path to the file you want to view. The command then reads the file and prints the hexadecimal representation of its contents.

Example output:

00000000: 48 65 78 79 6C 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 69 6D 70 6C  Hexyl is a simpl
00000010: 65 20 68 65 78 20 76 69 65 77 65 72 20 66 6F 72  e hex viewer for
00000020: 20 74 68 65 20 74 65 72 6D 69 6E 61 6C 2E 20 49   the terminal. I
00000030: 74 20 75 73 65 73 20 63 6F 6C 6F 72 65 64 20 6F  t uses colored o
00000040: 75 74 70 75 74 20 74 6F 20 64 69 73 74 69 6E 67  utput to distinguish
...

Use case 2: Print the hexadecimal representation of the first n bytes of a file

Code:

hexyl -n n path/to/file

Motivation: Sometimes you may only want to view a specific portion of a file, especially if it’s a large file and you’re only interested in the beginning or a specific range of bytes. This use case allows you to specify how many bytes you want to display.

Explanation: In this use case, the ‘-n’ option is used to specify the number of bytes you want to print. ’n’ should be replaced with the actual number of bytes. The ‘hexyl’ command is followed by the path to the file you want to view.

Example output:

00000000: 48 65 78 79 6C 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 69 6D 70 6C  Hexyl is a simpl
00000010: 65 20 68 65 78 20 76 69 65 77 65 72 20 66 6F 72  e hex viewer for
00000020: 20 74 68 65 20 74 65 72 6D 69 6E 61 6C 2E 20 49   the terminal.

Use case 3: Print bytes 512 through 1024 of a file

Code:

hexyl -r 512:1024 path/to/file

Motivation: When analyzing a file, it may be necessary to focus on a specific range of bytes. This use case allows you to specify the starting and ending positions, making it easier to investigate a specific portion of the file.

Explanation: In this use case, the ‘-r’ option is used to indicate the range of bytes you want to display. The range is specified as ‘start:end’, where ‘start’ is the starting position and ’end’ is the ending position. These positions are zero-indexed. The ‘hexyl’ command is followed by the path to the file you want to view.

Example output:

00000200: 54 48 45 20 52 49 53 4B 20 4F 46 20 54 48 45 20  THE RISK OF THE
00000210: 53 4F 46 54 57 41 52 45 2E 20 57 45 28 20 54 48  SOFTWARE. WE( TH
00000220: 45 20 41 55 54 48 4F 52 28 29 20 4F 52 20 43 4F  E AUTHOR( ) OR CO

Use case 4: Print 512 bytes starting at the 1024th byte

Code:

hexyl -r 1024:+512 path/to/file

Motivation: If you want to view a specific number of bytes starting from a particular position, this use case allows you to easily define the range without specifying the ending position explicitly.

Explanation: In this use case, the ‘-r’ option is used to indicate the range of bytes you want to display. Instead of specifying the ending position, you can use ‘+n’ to indicate the number of bytes you want to print after the starting position. ’n’ should be replaced with the actual number of bytes. The ‘hexyl’ command is followed by the path to the file you want to view.

Example output:

00000400: 42 48 45 20 41 55 54 48 4F 52 28 53 20 27 27 29  BHE AUTHOR(S '')
00000410: 2C 20 54 48 45 20 4F 52 47 41 4E 49 5A 41 54 49  , THE ORGANIZATI
00000420: 4F 4E 20 4F 52 20 43 4F 4E 54 52 49 42 55 54 4F  ON OR CONTRIBUTO
00000430: 52 53 20 42 45 20 4C 49 41 42 4C 45 20 46 4F 52  RS BE LIABLE FOR

Conclusion:

The ‘hexyl’ command provides a simple yet powerful way to view the contents of a file in a hexadecimal format. It offers various options to specify the range of bytes, allowing users to focus on specific portions of the file. By using colored output, ‘hexyl’ facilitates the understanding and analysis of data present in the file.