---
layout: page
category-title: Intermediate commands
category-page: intermediate
tags: sha sums check
author: Gianmarco De Vita
title: shasum
previous-page: pages/cmd/interm/
next-page: pages/cmd/interm/
---
With <code>shasum</code> command you can work with SHA Checksums.

<pre>
shasum [flag] [file]
</pre>

<h3>Store the Checksum</h3>

You can store the output in a file by adding to the command line the string
  output symbol "&gt;" and then the path and the name of the file.

<h3>Define the algorithm</h3>
The flag <code>-a</code> allows you to choose which algorithm to use when
  defining the checksum of a file. The default algorithm is 1.

<pre>
shasum -a algorithm file
</pre>

<h3>Read in binary mode</h3>
The flag <code>-b</code> allows you to read files in binary mode.

<pre>
shasum -b file
</pre>

<h3>Check two SHA sums</h3>
You can verify wheter two checksums belong to the same file or not (and so
  define wheter the two files are the same thing) wit the flag <code>-c</code>.
  After storing the Checksums into two files (let say file1 and file2),
  you can write to command as follows:

<pre>
shasum -c file1 file2
</pre>

<h3>Display help</h3>
Writing the command followed by the <code>-h</code> h flag will display a little
  help paragraph with the main functions of this command.

<pre>
shasum -h
</pre>