2 Methods to Get File Size in Bytes on Linux

For file storage management, system resource monitoring, or curiosity about a specific file's size, quick retrieval of file size in bytes on a Linux system is a valuable skill. This tutorial provides 2 methods how to get file size in bytes on Linux.

Method 1 - wc command

The wc command, which stands for word count, is a versatile tool that can be used to count characters, words, and lines in a file. When combined with the -c option, it counts the number of bytes in the specified file.

For example, to find the size of a file named test.txt, we can run the command:

wc -c < test.txt 

Method 2 - stat command

The stat command is another powerful utility that provides detailed information about a file, including its size. When combined with the -c option and the format specifier %s, it displays only the size of the file in bytes.

For example, to get the size of test.txt, execute the following command:

stat -c %s test.txt