NAME

       byteprefix - Configuration for display of sizes

DESCRIPTION

       There  are  two  standard ways to use units in computing: base 10 (1 k = 10^3 = 1 000) and
       base 2 (1 K = 2^10 = 1 024).  Historically, most computer programs have used units in base
       2,  where 1 KB = 1 024 bytes, 1 MB = 1 048 576 bytes, etc.  However, users are more likely
       to expect and understand sizes in base 10, as this is the norm outside of computing.

       This configuration file is a method for configuring programs (that use libkibi) to display
       sizes in the user's preferred style.  It can be configured through a configuration file or
       environment variable (which takes precedence).

       When not using the "historic" style, IEC-style prefixes (KiB, MiB, etc.) are used for base
       2 units, to disambiguate them from base 10 units (kB, MB, etc.).

OPTIONS

       There are three possible styles (Default: base10):

       base2  Display all sizes in Base 2 with IEC prefixes.

              1 KiB = 1 024 bytes.
              1 MiB = 1 024 KiB = 1 048 576 bytes.
              1 GiB = 1 024 MiB = 1 048 576 KiB = 1 073 741 824 bytes.

       base10 Display  all  sizes  in Base 10, except for sizes of RAM, which use base 2 with IEC
              prefixes.

              Everything except RAM:
              1 kB = 1 000 bytes.
              1 MB = 1 000 kB = 1 000 000 bytes.
              1 GB = 1 000 MB = 1 000 000 kB = 1 000 000 000 bytes.

              RAM:
              1 KiB = 1 024 bytes.
              1 MiB = 1 024 KiB = 1 048 576 bytes.
              1 GiB = 1 024 MiB = 1 048 576 KiB = 1 073 741 824 bytes.

       historic
              Display all sizes in Base 2, without IEC prefixes.

              1 KB = 1 024 bytes.
              1 MB = 1 024 KB = 1 048 576 bytes.
              1 GB = 1 024 MB = 1 048 576 KB = 1 073 741 824 bytes.

              Not recommended. This style uses base units 2 with prefixes usually associated with
              base  10 units.  While it uses KB rather than the SI (base 10) kB, there is no such
              distinction beyond the kilobyte range, and the units are ambiguous.

ENVIRONMENT

       BYTEPREFIX
              This environment variable will override the configured or default style.  It should
              just contain one of the style names, listed in OPTIONS above.

       XDG_CONFIG_HOME
              The  location of the user's configuration files.  If not set, it will be assumed to
              be ~/.config.

FILES

       The preferred style can be set in a system-wide configuration file and/or  in  user's  own
       configuration  file  (which  will  take precedence).  If no configuration file exists, the
       default style is base10.

       /etc/byteprefix or XDG_CONFIG_HOME/byteprefix
              This file should contain a single line: format=style.  Lines beginning with  #  are
              treated as comments.

EXAMPLE

       A user wanting base 2 display can set the following in ~/.config/byteprefix:

              format=base2

SEE ALSO

       units(7)