chmod - change file access permissions
chmod [OPTION]... MODE[,MODE]... FILE...
chmod [OPTION]... OCTAL-MODE FILE...
chmod [OPTION]... --reference=RFILE FILE...
This manual page documents the GNU version of chmod. chmod changes the
permissions of each given file according to mode, which can be either a
symbolic representation of changes to make, or an octal number representing
the bit pattern for the new permissions.
The format of a symbolic mode is `[ugoa...][[+-=][rwxXstugo...]...][,...]'.
Multiple symbolic operations can be given, separated
by commas.
A combination of the letters `ugoa' controls which users' access to the
file will be changed: the user who owns it (u), other users in the
file's group (g), other users not in the file's group (o), or all users
(a). If none of these are given, the effect is as if `a' were given,
but bits that are set in the umask are not affected.
The operator `+' causes the permissions selected to be added to the
existing permissions of each file; `-' causes them to be removed; and
`=' causes them to be the only permissions that the file has.
The letters `rwxXstugo' select the new permissions for the affected
users: read (r), write (w), execute (or access for directories) (x),
execute only if the file is a directory or already has execute permission
for some user (X), set user or group ID on execution (s), sticky
(t), the permissions that the user who owns the file currently has for
it (u), the permissions that other users in the file's group have for
it (g), and the permissions that other users not in the file's group
have for it (o).
A numeric mode is from one to four octal digits (0-7), derived by
adding up the bits with values 4, 2, and 1. Any omitted digits are
assumed to be leading zeros. The first digit selects the set user ID
(4) and set group ID (2) and sticky (1) attributes. The second digit
selects permissions for the user who owns the file: read (4), write
(2), and execute (1); the third selects permissions for other users in
the file's group, with the same values; and the fourth for other users
not in the file's group, with the same values.
chmod never changes the permissions of symbolic links; the chmod system
call cannot change their permissions. This is not a problem since the
permissions of symbolic links are never used. However, for each symbolic
link listed on the command line, chmod changes the permissions of
the pointed-to file. In contrast, chmod ignores symbolic links encountered
during recursive directory traversals.
On older Unix systems, the sticky bit caused executable files to be
hoarded in swap space. This feature is not useful on modern VM systems,
and the Linux kernel ignores the sticky bit on files. Other kernels
may use the sticky bit on files for system-defined purposes. On
some systems, only the superuser can set the sticky bit on files.
When the sticky bit is set on a directory, files in that directory may
only be unlinked or renamed by root or their owner. (Without the
sticky bit, anyone able to write to the directory can delete or rename
files.) The sticky bit is commonly found on directories, such as /tmp,
which are world-writable.
Change the mode of each FILE to MODE.
-c, --changes
like verbose but report only when a change is made
-f, --silent, --quiet
suppress most error messages
-v, --verbose
output a diagnostic for every file processed
--reference=RFILE
use RFILE's mode instead of MODE values
-R, --recursive
change files and directories recursively
--help display this help and exit
--version
output version information and exit
Each MODE is one or more of the letters ugoa, one of the symbols +-=
and one or more of the letters rwxXstugo.
Written by David MacKenzie.
Report bugs to <[email protected]>.
Copyright (C) 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is
NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE.
The full documentation for chmod is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If
the info and chmod programs are properly installed at your site, the
command
info chmod
should give you access to the complete manual.
chmod (fileutils) 4.1 March 2002 CHMOD(1)
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