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CSPLIT

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: February 2026
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NAME

csplit - split a file into sections determined by context lines  

SYNOPSIS

csplit [,OPTION/]... ,FILE PATTERN/...  

DESCRIPTION

Output pieces of FILE separated by PATTERN(s) to files 'xx00', 'xx01', ..., and output byte counts of each piece to standard output.

Read standard input if FILE is -

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

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#cspli-b'-b, --suffix-format=,FORMATX'tty: link'/

use sprintf FORMAT instead of %02d

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#cspli-f'-f, --prefix=,PREFIXX'tty: link'/

use PREFIX instead of 'xx'

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#cspli-k'-k, --keep-filesX'tty: link'

do not remove output files on errors

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#cspli-suppres-matched'--suppress-matchedX'tty: link'

suppress the lines matching PATTERN

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#cspli-n'-n, --digits=,DIGITSX'tty: link'/

use specified number of digits instead of 2

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#cspli-s'-s, --quiet, --silentX'tty: link'

do not print counts of output file sizes

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#cspli-z'-z, --elide-empty-filesX'tty: link'

suppress empty output files

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/csplit#cspli-help'--helpX'tty: link'

display this help and exit

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/csplit#cspli-version'--versionX'tty: link'

output version information and exit

 

Each PATTERN may be:

INTEGER

copy up to but not including specified line number

/REGEXP/[OFFSET]

copy up to but not including a matching line

%REGEXP%[OFFSET]

skip to, but not including a matching line

{INTEGER}

repeat the previous pattern specified number of times

{*}

repeat the previous pattern as many times as possible

A line OFFSET is an integer optionally preceded by '+' or '-'  

AUTHOR

Written by Stuart Kemp and David MacKenzie.  

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org

Report Gentoo bugs to: https://bugs.gentoo.org/
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>  

SEE ALSO

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/csplit>
or available locally via: info aq(coreutils) csplit invocationaq

Packaged by Gentoo (9.10 (p0))
Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://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.

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Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

Each PATTERN may be:

AUTHOR

REPORTING BUGS

SEE ALSO