TRUNCATE

truncate − shrink or extend the size of a file to the specified size

truncate OPTION... FILE...

Shrink or extend the size of each FILE to the specified size

A FILE argument that does not exist is created.

If a FILE is larger than the specified size, the extra data is lost. If a FILE is shorter, it is extended and the extended part (hole) reads as zero bytes.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

−c, −−no−create

do not create any files

−o, −−io−blocks

Treat SIZE as number of IO blocks instead of bytes

−r, −−reference=FILE

use this FILE’s size

−s, −−size=SIZE

use this SIZE

−−help

display this help and exit

−−version

output version information and exit

SIZE may be (or may be an integer optionally followed by) one of following: KB 1000, K 1024, MB 1000*1000, M 1024*1024, and so on for G, T, P, E, Z, Y.

SIZE may also be prefixed by one of the following modifying characters: ‘+’ extend by, ‘−’ reduce by, ‘<’ at most, ‘>’ at least, ‘/’ round down to multiple of, ‘%’ round up to multiple of.

Note that the −r and −s options are mutually exclusive.

Written by Padraig Brady.

Report truncate bugs to bug−coreutils@gnu.org
GNU coreutils home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report truncate translation bugs to <http://translationproject.org/team/>

Copyright © 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

dd(1), truncate(2), ftruncate(2)

The full documentation for truncate is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and truncate programs are properly installed at your site, the command

info coreutils 'truncate invocation'

should give you access to the complete manual.