Windows PowerShell Format-Hex equivalent in Linux
Shows offsets, hex bytes and printable text.
PowerShell Format-Hex
hexdump -C file
hexdump -C file
hexdump -C file
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Format-Hex" is used to canonical hex dump. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "hexdump -C file". Shows offsets, hex bytes and printable text. This reference is grouped under Text Processing → Binary/Text.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Format-Hex maps to hexdump -C file for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux command-line basics.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Canonical hex dump
Shows offsets, hex bytes and printable text.
hexdump -C file
Canonical hex dump
hexdump --help
Show command help when supported
man hexdump
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
hexdump -C file
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: PowerShell Format-Hex
hexdump -C fileReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
hexdump -C file | Canonical hex dump |
hexdump --help | Show command help when supported |
man hexdump | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "hexdump -C file" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | hexdump -C file |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | hexdump -C file |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | hexdump -C file |
Same command on this distribution. |
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