ber_dupbv - Linux

Overview

ber_dupbv identifies duplicate files based on their content, even if the file names or sizes differ. This proves particularly useful in scenarios like cleaning up large file collections, detecting plagiarism, or finding identical files across multiple systems.

Syntax

ber_dupbv [options] <dirs>

Options/Flags

  • -a, --all: Include hidden files and directories in the search.
  • -d, --depth: Set the maximum depth of subdirectories to search. Defaults to 1, meaning only the specified directories will be scanned.
  • -p, --print: Display a list of all duplicate files found.
  • -r, --recurse: Recursively descend into all subdirectories, regardless of -d.
  • -s, --silent: Only display a count of duplicate files found, without their paths.
  • -v, --verbose: Display more detailed information about each duplicate file, including file names, sizes, and checksums.

Examples

Find duplicate files in the current directory:

ber_dupbv .

Recursively find duplicate files in all subdirectories:

ber_dupbv -r .

Print a list of duplicate files:

ber_dupbv -p .

Only display a count of duplicate files:

ber_dupbv -s .

Common Issues

  • Duplicate files with different names: ber_dupbv relies on content comparison, so files with different names but identical content will be identified as duplicates.
  • Sparse files: ber_dupbv may not correctly identify duplicate sparse files.
  • Permissions errors: If ber_dupbv lacks sufficient permissions to access a file, it will skip that file.

Integration

  • Combine with find to search for specific file types:
find . -type f -exec ber_dupbv -p {} +
  • Use xargs to operate on the list of duplicate files:
ber_dupbv -p . | xargs rm -i

Related Commands

  • fdupes
  • dupeGuru
  • rsync