Util-linux

util-linux is a standard package distributed by the Linux Kernel Organization for use as part of the Linux operating system. A fork, util-linux-ng (with ng meaning "next generation"), was created when development stalled,^[4] but as of January 2011^[update] has been renamed back to util-linux, and is the official version of the package.^[5]

util-linux

Stable release	2.41[1]  / 18 March 2025; 32 days ago (18 March 2025)
Repository	github.com/util-linux/util-linux
Written in	C
Operating system	Linux
Available in	31 languages, 7 full translations[2]
Type	Utility software
License	Portions variously under GNU General Public License (v2+ or v2 only), GNU Lesser General Public License (v2+) and BSD License.[3]
Website	www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/ git.kernel.org/cgit/utils/util-linux/util-linux.git

Contents

Included

It includes the following utilities:

• addpart
• agetty
• blkdiscard^[6]
• blkid
• blkzone
• blockdev
• cal
• cfdisk
• chcpu
• chfn
• chmem
• choom
• chrt
• chsh
• col (legacy)^[7]
• colcrt
• colrm
• column
• ctrlaltdel
• delpart
• dmesg
• eject
• fallocate
• fdformat
• fdisk
• fincore
• findfs
• findmnt
• flock
• fsck
• fsck.cramfs
• fsck.minix
• fsfreeze
• fstrim
• getopt
• hardlink
• hexdump
• hwclock^[a]
• ionice
• ipcmk
• ipcrm
• ipcs
• irqtop^[8]
• isosize
• kill
• last
• ldattach
• line (legacy)^[7]
• logger
• login
• look
• losetup
• lsblk
• lscpu^[9]
• lsfd^[b]
• lsipc
• lsirq^[10]
• lslocks
• lslogins
• lsmem
• lsns
• mcookie
• mesg
• mkfs (legacy)^[7]
• mkfs.bfs
• mkfs.cramfs
• mkfs.minix
• mkswap
• more
• mount
• mountpoint
• namei
• newgrp
• nologin
• nsenter
• partx
• pg (legacy)^[7]
• pivot_root
• prlimit^[11]
• raw
• readprofile
• rename
• renice
• reset (legacy)^[7]
• resizepart
• rev
• rfkill
• rtcwake
• runuser
• script
• scriptlive
• scriptreplay
• setarch^[c]
• setpriv
• setsid
• setterm
• sfdisk
• su
• sulogin
• swaplabel
• swapoff
• swapon
• switch_root
• taskset
• tunelp (deprecated)^[12]
• ul
• umount
• unshare
• utmpdump
• uuidd
• uuidgen
• uuidparse
• vipw^[d]
• wall
• wdctl
• whereis
• wipefs
• write
• zramctl

Removed

Utilities formerly included, but removed as of 1 July 2015^[update]:

• arch^[13]
• chkdupexe^[14]
• clock^[15]
• cytune^[16]
• ddate^[e]
• elvtune^[19]
• fastboot^[20]
• fasthalt^[20]
• halt^[20]
• initctl^[20]
• ramsize^[f]
• rdev^[21]
• reboot^[20]
• rootflags^[f]
• shutdown^[20]
• simpleinit^[20]
• tailf^[22]
• vidmode^[f]

See also

• BusyBox
• CUPS
• GNU Core Utilities
• Toybox
• uname

Notes

1. cquery and set the hardware clock (RTC)
2. modern replacement for lsof
3. including architecture symlinks such as i386, linux32, linux64, x86_64, etc.
4. including symlink to vigr
5. removed from default build^[17] before being removed^[18] altogether
6. formerly a symlink to rdev^[21]