diff --git a/doc/src/Tools.rst b/doc/src/Tools.rst
index abab37b080..24ce64ec30 100644
--- a/doc/src/Tools.rst
+++ b/doc/src/Tools.rst
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ Miscellaneous tools
    * :ref:`i-pi <ipi>`
    * :ref:`kate <kate>`
    * :ref:`LAMMPS shell <lammps_shell>`
+   * :ref:`LAMMPS magic patterns for file(1) <magic>`
    * :ref:`singularity <singularity_tool>`
    * :ref:`SWIG interface <swig>`
    * :ref:`vim <vim>`
@@ -641,6 +642,38 @@ This tool was written by Ara Kooser at Sandia (askoose at sandia.gov).
 
 ----------
 
+.. _magic:
+
+Magic patterns for the "file" command
+-------------------------------------
+
+.. versionadded:: 10Mar2021
+
+The file ``magic`` contains pattern that are used by the ``file``
+program available on most Unix-like operating systems which enable
+it to detect various LAMMPS files and print some useful information
+about them.  To enable these patterns, append or copy them to either
+the file ``.magic`` in your home directory or (as administrator) to
+``/etc/magic`` (for a system-wide installation).  Afterwards the
+``file`` command should be able to detect LAMMPS binary
+restarts and dump files and some data and log files. Examples:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   $ file *.*
+   dihedral-quadratic.restart:   LAMMPS binary restart file (rev 2), Version 10 Mar 2021, Little Endian
+   mol-pair-wf_cut.restart:      LAMMPS binary restart file (rev 2), Version 24 Dec 2020, Little Endian
+   atom.bin:                     LAMMPS atom style binary dump (rev 2), Little Endian, First time step: 445570
+   custom.bin:                   LAMMPS custom style binary dump (rev 2), Little Endian, First time step: 100
+   bn1.lammpstrj:                LAMMPS text mode dump, First time step: 5000
+   data.fourmol:                 LAMMPS data file written by LAMMPS
+   pnc.data:                     LAMMPS data file written by msi2lmp
+   data.spce:                    LAMMPS data file written by TopoTools
+   B.data:                       LAMMPS data file written by OVITO
+   log.lammps:                   LAMMPS log file written by version 10 Feb 2021
+
+----------
+
 .. _matlab:
 
 matlab tool
diff --git a/tools/README b/tools/README
index 9be8877b96..9b73f1012d 100644
--- a/tools/README
+++ b/tools/README
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ kate                   add-ons to Kate editor for editing LAMMPS input scripts
 lammps-shell           LAMMPS executable enhanced for interactive use
 lmp2arc                convert LAMMPS output to Accelrys Insight format
 lmp2cfg                convert LAMMPS output to CFG files for AtomEye viz
+magic                  patterns to detect LAMMPS files with the file(1) command
 matlab                 MatLab scripts for post-processing LAMMPS output
 mesont                 Tools for use with the USER-MESONT package
 micelle2d              create a data file of small lipid chains in solvent
diff --git a/tools/magic b/tools/magic
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..33d5b17ab2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/magic
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# Add the contents of this file to either $HOME/.magic
+# or /etc/magic so that the file(1) command can recognize
+# your LAMMPS files and print some useful information.
+# Last change: 2021-03-14 by akohlmey@gmail.com
+
+# Binary restart file for the LAMMPS MD code, https://lammps.sandia.gov
+0        string  LammpS\ RestartT  LAMMPS binary restart file
+>0x14    long    x                 (rev %d),
+>>0x20   string  x                 Version %s,
+>>>0x10  lelong  0x0001            Little Endian
+>>>0x10  lelong  0x1000            Big Endian
+
+# Atom style binary dump file for the LAMMPS MD code, https://lammps.sandia.gov
+# written on a little endian machine
+0         lequad  -8
+>0x08     string  DUMPATOM     LAMMPS atom style binary dump
+>>0x14    long    x            (rev %d),
+>>>0x10   lelong  0x0001       Little Endian,
+>>>>0x18  lequad  x            First time step: %lld
+
+# written on a big endian machine
+0         bequad  -8
+>0x08     string  DUMPATOM     LAMMPS atom style binary dump
+>>0x14    belong  x            (rev %d),
+>>>0x10   lelong  0x1000       Big Endian,
+>>>>0x18  bequad  x            First time step: %lld
+
+# Atom style binary dump file for the LAMMPS MD code, https://lammps.sandia.gov
+# written on a little endian machine
+0         lequad  -10
+>0x08     string  DUMPCUSTOM   LAMMPS custom style binary dump
+>>0x16    lelong  x            (rev %d),
+>>>0x12   lelong  0x0001       Little Endian,
+>>>>0x1a  lequad  x            First time step: %lld
+
+# written on a big endian machine
+0         bequad  -10
+>0x08     string  DUMPCUSTOM   LAMMPS custom style binary dump
+>>0x16    belong  x            (rev %d),
+>>>0x12   lelong  0x1000       Big Endian,
+>>>>0x1a  bequad  x            First time step: %lld
+
+# LAMMPS log file
+0         string LAMMPS\ (                    LAMMPS log file
+>8        regex/16 [0-9]+\ [A-Za-z]+\ [0-9]+  written by version %s
+
+# Data file written either by LAMMPS, msi2lmp or VMD/TopoTools
+0      string LAMMPS\ data\ file  LAMMPS data file
+>0x12  string CGCMM\ style        written by TopoTools
+>0x12  string msi2lmp             written by msi2lmp
+>0x11  string via\ write_data     written by LAMMPS
+
+# Data file written by OVITO
+0      string #\ LAMMPS\ data\ file   LAMMPS data file
+>0x13  string written\ by\ OVITO      written by OVITO
+
+# LAMMPS text mode dump file
+0      string    ITEM:\ TIMESTEP      LAMMPS text mode dump,
+>15    regex/16  [0-9]+               First time step: %s