tree - list contents of directories in a tree-like format

Tree is a recursive directory listing program that produces a depth indented listing of files. Basic tree functionality can be emulated by simple script such as:

tree(){ if [ "$1" = "" ]; then dWhere=.; else dWhere=$1; fi ; ls -R "${dWhere}" | grep ":$" | sed -e 's/:$//' -e 's/[^-][^\/]*\//--|/g' -e 's/^/ /' -e 's/-/|/' ; }

GNU tree has tremendous amount of options and support color via dircolors if the LS_COLORS environment variable is set, output is to a tty, and the -C flag is used.

With no arguments, tree lists the files in the current directory. When directory arguments are given, tree lists all the files and/or directories found in the given directories each in turn. Upon completion of listing all files/directories found, tree returns the total number of files and/or directories listed similar to the way it done in NCD and Norton Commander. Unlike NCD it does not provide capability to jump to any directory in the tree.  

By default, when a symbolic link is encountered, the path that the symbolic link refers to is printed after the name of the link in the format:

name -> real-path

If the '-l' option is given and the symbolic link refers to an actual directory, then tree will follow the path of the symbolic link as if it were a real directory.

tree [-adfgilnopqrstuxACDFNS] [-L level [-R]] [-H baseHREF] [-T title] [-o filename] [--nolinks] [-P pattern] [-I pattern] [--inodes] [--device] [--noreport] [--dirsfirst] [--version] [--help] [directory ...]

Command line switches:

• --help Outputs a verbose usage listing.
• --version Outputs the version of tree.
• -a All files are printed. By default tree does not print hidden files (those beginning with a dot '.'). In no event does tree print the file system constructs '.' (current directory) and '..' (previous directory).
• -d List directories only.
• -f Prints the full path prefix for each file.
• -i Makes tree not print the indentation lines, useful when used in conjunction with the -f option.
• -l Follows symbolic links if they point to directories, as if they were directories. Symbolic links that will result in recursion are avoided when detected.
• -x Stay on the current file-system only. Ala find -xdev.
• -P pattern List only those files that match the wild-card pattern. Note: you must use the -a option to also consider those files beginning with a dot '.' for matching. Valid wildcard operators are '*' (any zero or more characters), '?' (any single character), '[...]' (any single character listed between brackets (optional - (dash) for character range may be used: ex: [A-Z]), and '[^...]' (any single character not listed in brackets) and '|' separates alternate patterns.
• -I pattern Do not list those files that match the wild-card pattern.
• --noreport Omits printing of the file and directory report at the end of the tree listing.
• -p Print the protections for each file (as per ls -l).
• -s Print the size of each file along with the name.
• -u Print the username, or UID # if no username is available, of the file.
• -g Print the group name, or GID # if no group name is available, of the file.
• -D Print the date of the last modification time for the file listed.
• --inodes Prints the inode number of the file or directory
• --device Prints the device number to which the file or directory belongs
• -F Append a '/' for directories, a '=' for socket files, a '*' for executable files and a '|' for FIFO's, as per ls -F
• -q Print non-printable characters in filenames as question marks instead of the default caret notation.
• -N Print non-printable characters as is instead of the default caret notation.
•  -r Sort the output in reverse alphabetic order.
• -t Sort the output by last modification time instead of alphabetically.
•  --dirsfirst List directories before files.
• -n Turn colorization off always, over-ridden by the -C option.
• -C Turn colorization on always, using built-in color defaults if the LS_COLORS environment variable is not set. Useful to colorize output to a pipe.
• -A Turn on ANSI line graphics hack when printing the indentation lines.
•  -S Turn on ASCII line graphics (useful when using linux console mode fonts). This option is now equivalent to '--charset=IBM437' and will eventually be depreciated.
•  -L level Max display depth of the directory tree.
• -R Recursively cross down the tree each level directories (see -L option), and at each of them execute tree again adding '-o 00Tree.html' as a new option.
•  -H baseHREF Turn on HTML output, including HTTP references. Useful for ftp sites. baseHREF gives the base ftp location when using HTML output. That is, the local directory may be '/local/ftp/pub', but it must be referenced as 'ftp://hostname.organization.domain/pub' (baseHREF should be 'ftp://hostname.organization.domain'). Hint: don't use ANSI lines with this option, and don't give more than one directory in the directory list. If you wish to use colors via CCS stylesheet, use the -C option in addition to this option to force color output.
• -T title Sets the title and H1 header string in HTML output mode.
• --charset charset Set the character set to use when outputting HTML and for line drawing.
• --nolinks Turns off hyperlinks in HTML output.
• -o filename Send output to filename.

Files

• /etc/DIR_COLORS System color database.

~/.dircolors Users color database.

Environment

• LS_COLORS Color information created by dircolors
• TREE_CHARSET Character set for tree to use in HTML mode.
• LC_CTYPE Locale for filename output.

Author

• Steve Baker ([email protected])
• HTML output hacked by Francesc Rocher ([email protected])
• Charsets and OS/2 support by Kyosuke Tokoro ([email protected])

Bugs

Tree does not prune "empty" directories when the -P and -I options are used. Tree prints directories as it comes to them, so cannot accumulate information on files and directories beneath the directory it is printing. Probably more.

See Also

dircolors(1L), ls(1L), find(1L)

NEWS CONTENTS

• 190321 : Where is the TREE command [Archive] - FedoraForum.org ( Where is the TREE command [Archive] - FedoraForum.org, )
• 190321 : Shell script that emulates the tree command in Linux ( Shell script that emulates the tree command in Linux, )
• 190321 : Unix Tree - Linux Tree • Display Structure of Directory Hierarchy ( Unix Tree - Linux Tree • Display Structure of Directory Hierarchy, )

Old News

Where is the TREE command [Archive] - FedoraForum.org

The "tree" command was listed in the Fedora Core 1 book I purchased. I did not try to use that command until FC2. The command appears to be missing in FC2. I have a SUSE 9.1 distribution, and the "tree" command is included and runs in there.

Was "tree" ever in FC1 for certain? If so, why is it not in FC2?

Anyone have any info on this for me?

Thanks.
-Chad

---

Lenard

2004-07-10, 07:57 AM

Check that it's installed (it's not by default if I remember correctly); rpm -qa "tree*"

If not install it ( apt-get install tree) (yum install tree)

If tree is installed then try something like; $ /usr/bin/tree

---

Jman

2004-07-10, 02:35 PM

Install it from the CD or with yum; it's not installed by default.

For those wondering what tree is: The tree utility recursively displays the contents of directories in a
tree-like format. Tree is basically a UNIX port of the DOS tree
utility.

Shell script that emulates the tree command in Linux

Unix Tree - Linux Tree • Display Structure of Directory Hierarchy

dem@ubuntu:~$ tree .local

/home/dem/.local
   |-share
   |---applications
   |---desktop-directories
  
dem@ubuntu:~$ cd apps/firefox
dem@ubuntu:~$ tree

/home/dem/apps/firefox
   |-chrome
   |---icons
   |-----default
   |-components
   |-defaults
   |---autoconfig
   |---pref
   |---profile
   |-----chrome
   |-extensions
   |---{972ce4c6-7e08-474-a285-320298ce6fd}  
   |---inspector~mozilla.org
   |-----chrome
   |-----components
   |-----defaults
   |-------preferences
   |---talkback~mozilla.org
   |-----components
   |-------talkback
   |-greprefs
   |-icons
   |-plugins
   |-res
   |---dtd
   |---entityTables
   |---fonts
   |---html
   |-searchplugins
   |-updates
   |---0

I put it into my .profile.

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tree(1) - Linux man page

tree (Unix) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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