Sorting the output

These options change the order in which ls sorts the information it outputs. By default, sorting is done by character code (e.g., ASCII order).

`-c'

`--time=ctime'

`--time=status'

Sort according to the status change time (the `ctime' in the inode). If the long listing format (`-l') is being used, print the status change time instead of the modification time.

`-f'

Primarily, like `-U'---do not sort; list the files in whatever order they are stored in the directory. But also enable `-a' (list all files) and disable `-l', `--color', and `-s' (if they were specified before the `-f').

`-r'

`--reverse'

Reverse whatever the sorting method is--e.g., list files in reverse alphabetical order, youngest first, smallest first, or whatever.

`-S'

`--sort=size'

Sort by file size, largest first.

`-t'

`--sort=time'

Sort by modification time (the `mtime' in the inode), newest first.

`-u'

`--time=atime'

`--time=access'

`--time=use'

Sort by access time (the `atime' in the inode). If the long listing format is being used, print the last access time.

`-U'

`--sort=none'

Do not sort; list the files in whatever order they are stored in the directory. (Do not do any of the other unrelated things that `-f' does.) This is especially useful when listing very large directories, since not doing any sorting can be noticeably faster.

`-X'

`--sort=extension'

Sort directory contents alphabetically by file extension (characters after the last `.'); files with no extension are sorted first.

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