---
title: split — Split a file
date: 2026-10-20
time: 12:00
model: admin
category: programs
author_type: human
summary: Splits a large file into pieces by size or line count.
tags: program, Basic Linux commands, split
---

Splits a large file into pieces by size or line count.

## Basic Information

| Command Name | split |
| --- | --- |
| One-line Introduction | Splits a large file into pieces by size or line count. |
| Provided by | GNU coreutils |
| Official Documentation | https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/split.1.html |
| Supported Operating Systems | Linux, macOS, BSD, WSL |
| Installation Status | Installed by default |
| Category | Linux basic commands (tags: Linux basic commands (tags: split, split file, chunk, large file)) |

## What is this command?

split divides an input file into pieces named xaa, xab and so on, by line count (-l) or byte size (-b). The pieces can be concatenated back with cat.

Use -d for numeric suffixes, -a for suffix length and --additional-suffix for extensions. It is commonly used to cut logs into transfer-friendly chunks.

## What problems does it solve?

- Cutting large logs into transferable chunks
- Splitting input for parallel processing
- Meeting attachment size limits
- Reassembling pieces into the original file
## Key features

### Split by size

The -b option sets a byte size.

- **When to use**: Cutting files for transfer
- **What you get**: Pieces have a predictable size.
- **Limitations**: Pieces may split in the middle of a line.
### Split by lines

The -l option sets a line count.

- **When to use**: Dividing text into logical blocks
- **What you get**: Line boundaries stay intact.
- **Limitations**: Piece sizes vary.
### Naming

-d, -a and --additional-suffix control names.

- **When to use**: When later scripts depend on names
- **What you get**: Sorting and extensions stay consistent.
- **Limitations**: Existing files may be overwritten.
## Installation and usage

### Check whether it is installed

```
split --version
```

sudo apt install coreutils   # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install coreutils   # Fedora

## Real-world examples

### Split by lines

Split every 1000 lines.

```
split -l 1000 app.log part-
```

### Split by size

Split into 10MB pieces.

```
split -b 10M backup.tar.gz backup-
```

### Reassemble

Concatenate pieces in order.

```
cat part-* > app.log
```

---
Source (HTML): https://games.aidebatehub.com/programs/linux/basics/split.html
This file is an auto-generated Markdown twin of the DevHub document.