Hex Encode and Decode on Linux

Hex encoding converts binary data into a hexadecimal representation, making the binary data more human-readable. In contrast, Hex decoding converts a hexadecimal string back into its original binary form. This tutorial explains how to perform Hex encoding and decoding on Linux.

Encoding string

The xxd command is a versatile tool for performing Hex encoding and decoding. To encode a string, you can use the following approach:

echo 'Hello world' | xxd -p

Decoding string

To perform Hex decoding, use the -r option.

echo '48656c6c6f20776f726c640a' | xxd -p -r

Encoding file

Create a text file for testing:

echo 'Hello world' > data.txt

Encode the contents of a text file and display the result in the terminal:

xxd -p data.txt

Encode the contents of a text file and save the result to another file:

xxd -p data.txt out.txt

Decoding file

Create a text file containing Hex encoded data:

echo '48656c6c6f20776f726c640a' > encoded_data.txt

Decode the contents of a text file and display the result in the terminal:

xxd -p -r encoded_data.txt

Decode the contents of a text file and save the result to another file:

xxd -p -r encoded_data.txt out.txt