MAN (.man)
.man file signature | text/troff
MAN is a Unix manual page format used in the man-page ecosystem and maintained by operating system and software project documentation authors. It is used to document commands, system calls, library functions, and configuration files, and is commonly viewed with man, less, or troff-compatible tools. The format is longstanding and generally safe, though files may contain formatting macros and should be rendered with trusted viewers when obtained from unverified sources.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
2E 5C 22
Sources: Apache Tika
All Known Signatures
5 signature variants are documented for .man files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2E 5C 22 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 27 5C 22 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 27 2E 5C 22 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 5C 22 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 27 27 27 | 0 | Apache Tika |
Extension
.man
MIME Type
text/troff
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .man files in Python
def is_man(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid MAN by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x2E, 0x5C, 0x22])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(3) == signatureHow to validate .man files in Node.js
function isMAN(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x2E, 0x5C, 0x22]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 3).equals(signature);
}How to validate .man files in Go
func IsMAN(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x2E, 0x5C, 0x22}
if len(data) < 3 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:3], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/man
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/man
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .man file?
A .man file is identified by the magic bytes 2E 5C 22 at byte offset 0. MAN is a Unix manual page format used in the man-page ecosystem and maintained by operating system and software project documentation authors. It is used to document commands, system calls, library functions, and configuration files, and is commonly viewed with man, less, or troff-compatible tools. The format is longstanding and generally safe, though files may contain formatting macros and should be rendered with trusted viewers when obtained from unverified sources.
What are the magic bytes for .man files?
The magic bytes for MAN files are 2E 5C 22 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .man file?
To validate a .man file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (2E 5C 22) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .man files?
The primary MIME type for .man files is text/troff.
Is it safe to open .man files?
MAN (.man) 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.