Display a Hex Dump of a File Linux Tips by Burleson Consulting

While not common, certain circumstances may require a hex dump of a file.  The od (octal dump) command with the hex (?x) option can be used to display the file in hex format.

$ od -x preamble.txt
0000000 2e55 2e53 4320 6e6f 7473 7469 7475 6f69
0000020 3a6e 5020 6572 6d61 6c62 0a65 570a 2065
0000040 6874 2065 6550 706f 656c 6f20 2066 6874
0000060 2065 6e55 7469 6465 5320 6174 6574 2c73
0000100 6920 206e 724f 6564 2072 6f74 6620 726f
0000120 206d 2061 6f6d 6572 7020 7265 6566 7463
0000140 5520 696e 6e6f 0a2c 7365 6174 6c62 7369
0000160 2068 754a 7473 6369 2c65 6920 736e 7275
0000200 2065 6f64 656d 7473 6369 5420 6172 716e
0000220 6975 6c6c 7469 2c79 7020 6f72 6976 6564
0000240 6620 726f 7420 6568 6320 6d6f 6f6d 206e
0000260 6564 6566 636e 2c65 700a 6f72 6f6d 6574
0000300 7420 6568 6720 6e65 7265 6c61 5720 6c65
0000320 6166 6572 202c 6e61 2064 6573 7563 6572
0000340 7420 6568 4220 656c 7373 6e69 7367 6f20
0000360 2066 694c 6562 7472 2079 6f74 6f20 7275
0000400 6573 766c 7365 610a 646e 6f20 7275 5020
0000420 736f 6574 6972 7974 202c 6f64 6f20 6472
0000440 6961 206e 6e61 2064 7365 6174 6c62 7369
0000460 2068 6874 7369 4320 6e6f 7473 7469 7475
0000500 6f69 206e 6f66 2072 6874 2065 6e55 7469
0000520 6465 0a20 7453 7461 7365 6f20 2066 6d41
0000540 7265 6369 2e61 0a20
0000550

This is an excerpt from "Easy Linux Commands" by Linux guru Jon Emmons.  You can purchase it for only $19.95 (30%-off) at this link.