PRIMES(6) | Games Manual | PRIMES(6)

# NAME

`primes` — generate primes

# SYNOPSIS

`primes` | [`-dh`] [start [stop]]

# DESCRIPTION

The `primes` utility prints primes in ascending order, one per line, starting at or above start and continuing until, but not including stop. The start value must be at least 0 and not greater than stop. The stop value must not be greater than 3825123056546413050. The default value of stop is 3825123056546413050.

When the `primes` utility is invoked with no arguments, start is read from standard input and stop is taken to be 3825123056546413050. The start value may be preceded by a single ‘+’. The start value is terminated by a non-digit character (such as a newline). The input line must not be longer than 255 characters.

When given the `-d` argument, `primes` prints the difference between the current and the previous prime.

When given the `-h` argument, `primes` prints the prime numbers in hexadecimal.

# DIAGNOSTICS

Out of range or invalid input results in an appropriate error message to standard error.

# AUTHORS

Originally by Landon Curt Noll, extended to some 64-bit primes by Colin Percival.

# BUGS

This `primes` program won't get you a world record.

February 2, 2018 | NetBSD 11.0