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DIST (.dist)

.dist file signature | application/octet-stream

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 10
23 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 68 65 6C 6C 20 61 72 63 68 69 76 65

Sources: Apache Tika

All Known Signatures

6 signature variants are documented for .dist files across multiple sources.

Hex Signature Offset Sources
23 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 68 65 6C 6C 20 61 72 63 68 69 76 65 10 Apache Tika
1F 1E 0 Apache Tika
30 31 37 34 33 37 0 Apache Tika
1F FF 0 Apache Tika
FF 1F 0 Apache Tika
30 31 34 35 34 30 35 0 Apache Tika

Extension

.dist

MIME Type

application/octet-stream

Byte Offset

10

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .dist files in Python

Python 
def is_dist(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid DIST by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x23, 0x20, 0x54, 0x68, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x61, 0x20, 0x73, 0x68, 0x65, 0x6C, 0x6C, 0x20, 0x61, 0x72, 0x63, 0x68, 0x69, 0x76, 0x65])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(25) == signature

How to validate .dist files in Node.js

Node.js 
function isDIST(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x23, 0x20, 0x54, 0x68, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x61, 0x20, 0x73, 0x68, 0x65, 0x6C, 0x6C, 0x20, 0x61, 0x72, 0x63, 0x68, 0x69, 0x76, 0x65]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 25).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .dist files in Go

Go 
func IsDIST(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x23, 0x20, 0x54, 0x68, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x61, 0x20, 0x73, 0x68, 0x65, 0x6C, 0x6C, 0x20, 0x61, 0x72, 0x63, 0x68, 0x69, 0x76, 0x65}
    if len(data) < 25 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:25], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/dist
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/dist

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .dist file?

A .dist file is a DIST file.

What are the magic bytes for .dist files?

The magic bytes for DIST files are 23 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 68 65 6C 6C 20 61 72 63 68 69 76 65 at byte offset 10. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .dist file?

To validate a .dist file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (23 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 68 65 6C 6C 20 61 72 63 68 69 76 65) at offset 10. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .dist files?

The primary MIME type for .dist files is application/octet-stream.

Is it safe to open .dist files?

DIST (.dist) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.