Windows PowerShell Get-FileHash equivalent in Linux
Calculates a cryptographic checksum used to verify downloads and detect file changes.
PowerShell Get-FileHash
sha256sum filename.iso
sha256sum filename.iso
sha256sum filename.iso
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Get-FileHash" is used to calculate a file checksum. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "sha256sum filename.iso". Calculates a cryptographic checksum used to verify downloads and detect file changes. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → File System.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Get-FileHash maps to sha256sum filename.iso for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Calculate a file checksum
Calculates a cryptographic checksum used to verify downloads and detect file changes.
sha256sum filename.iso
Calculate SHA-256
sha512sum filename.iso
Calculate SHA-512
sha256sum -c checksums.txt
Verify checksums from a file
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
sha256sum filename.iso
sha512sum filename.iso
sha256sum -c checksums.txt
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
sha256sum filename.iso # calculate a SHA-256 checksum
sha512sum filename.iso # calculate a SHA-512 checksum
sha256sum -c checksums.txt # verify a checksum listReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
sha256sum filename.iso | Calculate SHA-256 |
sha512sum filename.iso | Calculate SHA-512 |
sha256sum -c checksums.txt | Verify checksums from a file |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "sha256sum filename.iso" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | sha256sum filename.iso |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | sha256sum filename.iso |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | sha256sum filename.iso |
Same command on this distribution. |
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