OS Manuals

/usr/bin/nl

Cross-platform Rust rewrite of the GNU coreutils.

From uutils 0.12.0-r6 (os), captured 2026-11-07 by running nl --help (exit 0). permalink

Number lines of files

Usage: nl [OPTION]... [FILE]...

Options:
      --help                           Print help information.
  -b, --body-numbering <STYLE>         use STYLE for numbering body lines
  -d, --section-delimiter <CC>         use CC for separating logical pages
  -f, --footer-numbering <STYLE>       use STYLE for numbering footer lines
  -h, --header-numbering <STYLE>       use STYLE for numbering header lines
  -i, --line-increment <NUMBER>        line number increment at each line
  -l, --join-blank-lines <NUMBER>      group of NUMBER empty lines counted as one
  -n, --number-format <FORMAT>         insert line numbers according to FORMAT [possible values: ln,
                                       rn, rz]
  -p, --no-renumber                    do not reset line numbers at logical pages
  -s, --number-separator <STRING>      add STRING after (possible) line number
  -v, --starting-line-number <NUMBER>  first line number on each logical page
  -w, --number-width <NUMBER>          use NUMBER columns for line numbers
  -V, --version                        Print version

STYLE is one of:

  - a number all lines
  - t number only nonempty lines
  - n number no lines
  - pBRE number only lines that contain a match for the basic regular expression, BRE

FORMAT is one of:

  - ln left justified, no leading zeros
  - rn right justified, no leading zeros
  - rz right justified, leading zeros
Options (13)
OptionDescriptionSource
--helpPrint help information.help + man
-b, --body-numbering STYLEuse STYLE for numbering body lineshelp + man
-d, --section-delimiter CCuse CC for separating logical pageshelp + man
-f, --footer-numbering STYLEuse STYLE for numbering footer lineshelp + man
-h, --header-numbering STYLEuse STYLE for numbering header lineshelp + man
-i, --line-increment NUMBERline number increment at each linehelp + man
-l, --join-blank-lines NUMBERgroup of NUMBER empty lines counted as onehelp + man
-n, --number-format FORMATinsert line numbers according to FORMAT [possible values: ln, rn, rz]help + man
-p, --no-renumberdo not reset line numbers at logical pageshelp + man
-s, --number-separator STRINGadd STRING after (possible) line numberhelp + man
-v, --starting-line-number NUMBERfirst line number on each logical pagehelp + man
-w, --number-width NUMBERuse NUMBER columns for line numbershelp + man
-V, --versionPrint versionhelp + man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.