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sha256sum Tool Reference

Quick reference for sha256sum, a tool to compute and verify SHA-256 checksums. SHA-256 is the common default for verifying downloads and file integrity.

Basic usage

  • sha256sum file.img – print SHA-256 hash and filename.
  • sha256sum file1 file2 – hash multiple files.
  • echo -n "test" | sha256sum – hash data from stdin.

Common options

  • -b – read files in binary mode (default on Linux).
  • -t – read files in text mode (mainly for non-Unix systems).
  • -c – check SHA-256 sums from a file.

Creating and verifying checksum files

  • sha256sum file.img > file.img.sha256 – save checksum.
  • sha256sum file1 file2 > checksums.sha256 – create checksum list.
  • sha256sum -c file.img.sha256 – verify a single file.
  • sha256sum -c checksums.sha256 – verify multiple files.

Tips

  • Publish SHA-256 hashes over HTTPS, signed release notes, or another trusted channel.
  • Users should compare the hash they compute with the published hash, not just “it downloaded fine”.
  • For even stronger hashes, see sha512sum.
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