[thirdparty/util-linux.git] / misc-utils / uuidgen.1

.\" Copyright 1999 Andreas Dilger (adilger@enel.ucalgary.ca)
.\"
.\" This man page was created for libuuid.so.1.1 from e2fsprogs-1.14.
.\"
.\" This file may be copied under the terms of the GNU Public License.
.\"
.\" Created  Wed Mar 10 17:42:12 1999, Andreas Dilger
.TH UUIDGEN 1 "June 2011" "util-linux" "User Commands"
.SH NAME
uuidgen \- create a new UUID value
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B uuidgen
[\fIoptions\fR]
.SH DESCRIPTION
The
.B uuidgen
program creates (and prints)
a new universally unique identifier (UUID) using the
.BR libuuid (3)
library.  The new UUID can reasonably be considered unique among
all UUIDs created on the local system,
and among UUIDs created on other systems in the past
and in the future.
.PP
There are two types of UUIDs which
.B uuidgen
can generate: time-based UUIDs and random-based UUIDs.  By default
.B uuidgen
will generate a random-based UUID if a high-quality random number
generator is present.  Otherwise, it will choose a time-based UUID.
It is possible to force the generation of one of these two
UUID types by using the
.B \-r
or
.B \-t
options.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.BR \-r , " \-\-random"
Generate a random-based UUID.  This method creates a UUID consisting mostly
of random bits.  It requires that the operating system have a high
quality random number generator, such as
.IR /dev/random .
.TP
.BR \-t , " \-\-time"
Generate a time-based UUID.  This method creates a UUID based on the system
clock plus the system's ethernet hardware address, if present.
.TP
.BR \-h , " \-\-help"
Display help text and exit.
.TP
.BR \-V , " \-\-version"
Display version information and exit.
.SH "CONFORMING TO"
OSF DCE 1.1
.SH AUTHOR
.B uuidgen
was written by Andreas Dilger for libuuid.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR libuuid (3)
.SH AVAILABILITY
The uuidgen command is part of the util-linux package and is available from
ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/.
Commit	Line	Data
	1	.\" Copyright 1999 Andreas Dilger (adilger@enel.ucalgary.ca)
	2	.\"
	3	.\" This man page was created for libuuid.so.1.1 from e2fsprogs-1.14.
	4	.\"
	5	.\" This file may be copied under the terms of the GNU Public License.
	6	.\"
	7	.\" Created Wed Mar 10 17:42:12 1999, Andreas Dilger
	8	.TH UUIDGEN 1 "June 2011" "util-linux" "User Commands"
	9	.SH NAME
	10	uuidgen \- create a new UUID value
	11	.SH SYNOPSIS
	12	.B uuidgen
	13	[\fIoptions\fR]
	14	.SH DESCRIPTION
	15	The
	16	.B uuidgen
	17	program creates (and prints)
	18	a new universally unique identifier (UUID) using the
	19	.BR libuuid (3)
	20	library. The new UUID can reasonably be considered unique among
	21	all UUIDs created on the local system,
	22	and among UUIDs created on other systems in the past
	23	and in the future.
	24	.PP
	25	There are two types of UUIDs which
	26	.B uuidgen
	27	can generate: time-based UUIDs and random-based UUIDs. By default
	28	.B uuidgen
	29	will generate a random-based UUID if a high-quality random number
	30	generator is present. Otherwise, it will choose a time-based UUID.
	31	It is possible to force the generation of one of these two
	32	UUID types by using the
	33	.B \-r
	34	or
	35	.B \-t
	36	options.
	37	.SH OPTIONS
	38	.TP
	39	.BR \-r , " \-\-random"
	40	Generate a random-based UUID. This method creates a UUID consisting mostly
	41	of random bits. It requires that the operating system have a high
	42	quality random number generator, such as
	43	.IR /dev/random .
	44	.TP
	45	.BR \-t , " \-\-time"
	46	Generate a time-based UUID. This method creates a UUID based on the system
	47	clock plus the system's ethernet hardware address, if present.
	48	.TP
	49	.BR \-h , " \-\-help"
	50	Display help text and exit.
	51	.TP
	52	.BR \-V , " \-\-version"
	53	Display version information and exit.
	54	.SH "CONFORMING TO"
	55	OSF DCE 1.1
	56	.SH AUTHOR
	57	.B uuidgen
	58	was written by Andreas Dilger for libuuid.
	59	.SH SEE ALSO
	60	.BR libuuid (3)
	61	.SH AVAILABILITY
	62	The uuidgen command is part of the util-linux package and is available from
	63	ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/.