Windows verify / certutil -hashfile equivalent in Linux
Generates or checks checksums to verify that files have not been corrupted or tampered with.
verify / certutil -hashfile
sha256sum
sha256sum
sha256sum
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "verify / certutil -hashfile" is used to verify file integrity with checksums. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "sha256sum". Generates or checks checksums to verify that files have not been corrupted or tampered with. This reference is grouped under Security & Permissions → File System.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows verify / certutil -hashfile maps to sha256sum 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 permissions for Windows users.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Verify file integrity with checksums
Generates or checks checksums to verify that files have not been corrupted or tampered with.
sha256sum file
Generate SHA-256 checksum
sha256sum -c file.sha256
Verify against checksum file
md5sum file
Generate MD5 checksum (legacy)
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
sha256sum ubuntu.iso
sha256sum -c ubuntu.iso.sha256
md5sum file1.txt file2.txt
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: certutil -hashfile file SHA256
# Generate:
sha256sum ubuntu.iso
a1b2c3d4... ubuntu.iso
# Verify a download:
sha256sum -c ubuntu.iso.sha256
ubuntu.iso: OK
# Compare two files are identical:
md5sum file1.txt file2.txtReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
sha256sum file | Generate SHA-256 checksum |
sha256sum -c file.sha256 | Verify against checksum file |
md5sum file | Generate MD5 checksum (legacy) |
sha1sum file | Generate SHA-1 checksum |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "sha256sum" 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 | sha256sum |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | sha256sum |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | sha256sum |
Same command on this distribution. |
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