Macintosh Terminal Pocket Guide

File Properties

stat	Display attributes of files and directories.
wc	Count bytes, words, lines in a file.
du	Measure disk usage of files and directories.
file	Identify (guess) the type of a file.
touch	Change timestamps of files and directories.
chown	Change owner of files and directories.
chgrp	Change group ownership of files and directories.
chmod	Change protection mode of files and directories.
umask	Set a default mode for new files and directories.
xattr	Work with extended attributes of files and directories.

When examining a file, keep in mind that the contents are just part of the story. Every file and directory also has attributes that describe its owner, size, access permissions, and other information. The ls -l command (see Basic File Operations) displays some of these attributes, but other commands provide additional information.