Software & Apps Linux How to Create a Hexdump of a File or String of Text Hexdumps support program debugging and reverse compilation by Juergen Haas Writer Former Lifewire writer Juergen Haas is a software developer, data scientist, and a fan of the Linux operating system. our editorial process Juergen Haas Updated on February 19, 2020 Tweet Share Email Linux Switching from Windows A hex dump is a hexadecimal view of data. Use hexadecimal when you're debugging a program or to reverse engineer a program. For example, many file formats employ specific hex characters to denote their type. When you try to read a file but it doesn't load correctly, it might be that the file isn't in the format you are expecting. A hex dump helps with troubleshooting. Likewise, to deconstruct how a program works without the source code, look at the hex dump to evaluate its performance. What Is Hexadecimal? Computers think in binary. Every character, number, and symbol is referenced by a binary values—something called base 2 arithmetic, using zeroes and ones. Humans think in decimal, or base 10 arithmetic that relies on the numerals zero through nine. In hexadecimal—or base 16 arithmetic—computations use 16 units represented by the figures zero through nine plus the letters A through F. Hexadecimal Numbers: Everything You Need to Know How to Create a Hex Dump Using Linux To create a hex dump using Linux, use the hexdump command. To display a file as hex to the standard output, run the following command: hexdump filename For example: hexdump touch.svg The default output displays the line number in hexadecimal format through eight sets of four hexadecimal values per line. Supply different switches to change the default output. For example, specifying the -b switch produces an eight-digit offset followed by 16 three-column, zero-filled bytes of input data in octal format—a view called a one-byte octal display. hexdump -b touch.svg With this switch, the display changes to look something like this: 00000000 211 120 116 107 015 012 032 012 000 000 000 015 111 110 104 122 Use the -c switch to see the file in a one-bit display: hexdump -c hexdump.svg The command with this switch displays the offset but this time in the form of 16 space-separated, three-column, space-filled characters of input data per line: This command supports several other output formats. Run the command man hexdump to view the manpage entry for this useful tool. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit