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.TH "bup\-cat\-file" "1" "2026\-01\-28" "Bup 0.33.10+"
.SH NAME
bup\-cat\-file \- extract archive content (low\-level)
.SH SYNOPSIS
bup cat\-file [\-\-meta|\-\-bupm] <\f[I]path\f[R]>
.SH DESCRIPTION
\f[CR]bup cat\-file\f[R] extracts content associated with \f[I]path\f[R]
from the archive and dumps it to standard output.
If nothing special is requested, the actual data contained by
\f[I]path\f[R] (which must be a regular file) will be dumped.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
\-\-meta
retrieve the metadata entry associated with \f[I]path\f[R].
Note that currently this does not return the raw bytes for the entry
recorded in the relevant .bupm in the archive, but rather a decoded and
then re\-encoded version.
When that matters, it should be possible (though awkward) to use
\f[CR]\-\-bupm\f[R] on the parent directory and then find the relevant
entry in the output.
.TP
\-\-bupm
retrieve the .bupm file associated with \f[I]path\f[R], which must be a
directory.
.SH EXAMPLES
.IP
.EX
# Retrieve the content of somefile.
$ bup cat\-file /foo/latest/somefile > somefile\-content

# Examine the metadata associated with something.
$ bup cat\-file \-\-meta /foo/latest/something | bup meta \-tvvf \-

# Examine the metadata for somedir, including the items it contains.
$ bup cat\-file \-\-bupm /foo/latest/somedir | bup meta \-tvvf \-
.EE
.SH SEE ALSO
\f[CR]bup\-join\f[R](1), \f[CR]bup\-meta\f[R](1)
.SH BUP
Part of the \f[CR]bup\f[R](1) suite.
.SH AUTHORS
Rob Browning \c
.MT rlb@defaultvalue.org
.ME \c.