XATTR(1)                     General Commands Manual                    XATTR(1)

NNAAMMEE
     xxaattttrr – display and manipulate extended attributes

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     xxaattttrr [--llrrssvvxx] _f_i_l_e _._._.
     xxaattttrr --pp [--llrrssvvxx] _a_t_t_r___n_a_m_e _f_i_l_e _._._.
     xxaattttrr --ww [--rrssxx] _a_t_t_r___n_a_m_e _a_t_t_r___v_a_l_u_e _f_i_l_e _._._.
     xxaattttrr --dd [--rrssvv] _a_t_t_r___n_a_m_e _f_i_l_e _._._.
     xxaattttrr --cc [--rrssvv] _f_i_l_e _._._.
     xxaattttrr --hh | ----hheellpp

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     The xxaattttrr command can be used to display, modify or remove the extended
     attributes of one or more files, including directories and symbolic links.
     Extended attributes are arbitrary metadata stored with a file, but separate
     from the filesystem attributes (such as modification time or file size).
     The metadata is often a null-terminated UTF-8 string, but can also be
     arbitrary binary data.

     One or more files may be specified on the command line.  For the first two
     forms of the command, when there are more than one file, the file name is
     displayed along with the actual results.  When only one file is specified,
     the display of the file name is usually suppressed (unless the --vv option
     described below, is also specified).

     In the first form of the command (without any other mode option specified),
     the names of all extended attributes are listed.  Attribute names can also
     be displayed using “ls -l@”.

     In the second form, using the --pp option (“print”), the value associated
     with the given attribute name is displayed.  Attribute values are usually
     displayed as strings.  However, if nils are detected in the data, the value
     is displayed in a hexadecimal representation.

     The third form, with the --ww option (“write”), causes the given attribute
     name to be assigned the given value.

     The fourth form, with the --dd option (“delete”), causes the given attribute
     name (and associated value), to be removed.

     In the fifth form, with the --cc option (“clear”), causes all attributes
     (including their associated values), to be removed.

     Finally, the last form, with either the --hh or ----hheellpp option, displays a
     short help message and exits immediately.

OOPPTTIIOONNSS
     --ll  By default, the first two command forms either displays just the
         attribute names or values, respectively.  The --ll option causes both the
         attribute names and corresponding values to be displayed.  For
         hexadecimal display of values, the output is preceeded with the
         hexadecimal offset values and followed by ASCII display, enclosed by
         “|”.

     --rr  If a file argument is a directory, act as if the entire contents of the
         directory recursively were also specified (so that every file in the
         directory tree is acted upon).

     --ss  If a file argument is a symbolic link, act on the symbolic link itself,
         rather than the file that the symbolic link points at.

     --vv  Force the file name to be displayed, even for a single file.

     --xx  Force the attribute value to be displayed in the hexadecimal
         representation.

         The --ww option normally assumes the input attribute value is a string.
         Specifying the --xx option causes xxaattttrr to expect the input in
         hexadecimal (whitespace is ignored).  The xxd(1) command can be used to
         create hexadecimal representations from exising binary data, to pass to
         xxaattttrr.

EEXXIITT SSTTAATTUUSS
     The xxaattttrr command exits with zero status on success.  On error, non-zero is
     returned, and an error message is printed to the standard error.  For
     system call errors, both the error code and error string are printed (see
     getxattr(2), listxattr(2), removexattr(2) and setxattr(2) for a complete
     list of possible error codes).

     Some attribute data may have a fixed length that is enforced by the system.
     For example,

           % xattr -w com.apple.FinderInfo 0 foo
           xattr: [Errno 34] Result too large: 'foo'

     The com.apple.FinderInfo attribute must be 32 bytes in length.

EEXXAAMMPPLLEESS
     This example copies the com.apple.FinderInfo attribute from the /usr
     directory to the MyDir directory:

           % xattr -px com.apple.FinderInfo /usr
           00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
           00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
           % xattr -l MyDir
           % xattr -wx com.apple.FinderInfo \
             "`xattr -px com.apple.FinderInfo /usr`" MyDir
           % xattr -l MyDir
           com.apple.FinderInfo:
           00000000  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |........@.......|
           00000010  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|
           00000020

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     ls(1), xxd(1), getxattr(2), listxattr(2), removexattr(2), setxattr(2)

macOS 12.3                      November 29, 2010                     macOS 12.3