test: test [expr] Exits with a status of 0 (true) or 1 (false) depending on the evaluation of EXPR. Expressions may be unary or binary. Unary expressions are often used to examine the status of a file. There are string operators as well, and numeric comparison operators. File operators: -a FILE True if file exists. -b FILE True if file is block special. -c FILE True if file is character special. -d FILE True if file is a directory. -e FILE True if file exists. -f FILE True if file exists and is a regular file. -g FILE True if file is set-group-id. -h FILE True if file is a symbolic link. -L FILE True if file is a symbolic link. -k FILE True if file has its `sticky' bit set. -p FILE True if file is a named pipe. -r FILE True if file is readable by you. -s FILE True if file exists and is not empty. -S FILE True if file is a socket. -t FD True if FD is opened on a terminal. -u FILE True if the file is set-user-id. -w FILE True if the file is writable by you. -x FILE True if the file is executable by you. -O FILE True if the file is effectively owned by you. -G FILE True if the file is effectively owned by your group. -N FILE True if the file has been modified since it was last read. FILE1 -nt FILE2 True if file1 is newer than file2 (according to modification date). FILE1 -ot FILE2 True if file1 is older than file2. FILE1 -ef FILE2 True if file1 is a hard link to file2. All file operators except -h and -L are acting on the target of a symbolic link, not on the symlink itself, if FILE is a symbolic link. String operators: -z STRING True if string is empty. -n STRING STRING True if string is not empty. STRING1 = STRING2 True if the strings are equal. STRING1 != STRING2 True if the strings are not equal. STRING1 < STRING2 True if STRING1 sorts before STRING2 lexicographically. STRING1 > STRING2 True if STRING1 sorts after STRING2 lexicographically. Other operators: -o OPTION True if the shell option OPTION is enabled. ! EXPR True if expr is false. EXPR1 -a EXPR2 True if both expr1 AND expr2 are true. EXPR1 -o EXPR2 True if either expr1 OR expr2 is true. arg1 OP arg2 Arithmetic tests. OP is one of -eq, -ne, -lt, -le, -gt, or -ge. Arithmetic binary operators return true if ARG1 is equal, not-equal, less-than, less-than-or-equal, greater-than, or greater-than-or-equal than ARG2. See the bash manual page bash(1) for the handling of parameters (i.e. missing parameters).