XARGS(1)XARGS(1)NAMExargs - construct argument list(s) and execute utility.
SYNOPSISxargs [-ft0] [[-x] -n number] [-s size] [utility [argument ...]]
DESCRIPTION
The xargs utility reads space, tab, newline and end-of-file delimited
arguments from the standard input and executes the specified utility
with them as arguments.
The utility and any arguments specified on the command line are given
to the utility upon each invocation, followed by some number of the
arguments read from standard input. The utility is repeatedly executed
until standard input is exhausted.
Spaces, tabs and newlines may be embedded in arguments using single (``
' '') or double (``"'') quotes or backslashes (``\''). Single quotes
escape all non-single quote characters, excluding newlines, up to the
matching single quote. Double quotes escape all non-double quote char‐
acters, excluding newlines, up to the matching double quote. Any sin‐
gle character, including newlines, may be escaped by a backslash.
The options are as follows:
-n number
Set the maximum number of arguments taken from standard input
for each invocation of the utility. An invocation of utility
will use less than number standard input arguments if the number
of bytes accumulated (see the -s option) exceeds the specified
size or there are fewer than number arguments remaining for the
last invocation of utility. The current default value for num‐
ber is 5000.
-s size
Set the maximum number of bytes for the command line length pro‐
vided to utility. The sum of the length of the utility name and
the arguments passed to utility (including NULL terminators)
will be less than or equal to this number. The current default
value for size is ARG_MAX - 2048.
-t Echo the command to be executed to standard error immediately
before it is executed.
-x Force xargs to terminate immediately if a command line contain‐
ing number arguments will not fit in the specified (or default)
command line length.
-0 Read null-byte terminated pathnames from standard input as may
have been produced by the -print0 option of find(1). This is a
MINIX 3 specific extension to xargs.
If no utility is specified, echo(1) is used.
Undefined behavior may occur if utility reads from the standard input.
Xargs exits with an exit status of 0 if no error occurs. If utility
cannot be invoked, is terminated by a signal or terminates without
calling exit(2), xargs exits with an exit status of 127. If utility
exits with an exit status other than 0, xargs exits with that exit sta‐
tus. Otherwise, xargs exits with an exit status of 1.
SEE ALSOecho(1), find(1).
STANDARDS
The xargs utility is expected to be POSIX 1003.2 compliant.
4.4 Berkeley Distribution June 27, 1991 XARGS(1)