NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     chflags - change file flags

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     chflags [-R [-H | -L | -P]] flags file [...]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The chflags utility modifies the file flags  of  the  listed
files as specified
 by the flags operand.  The flags of a file dictate special restrictions
 beyond those enforced by its mode/permissions.

     The options are as follows:

     -R      Recursively descend through any specified  directory
arguments.
             Change  the  flags of the file hierarchies rooted in
the files instead
 of just the files themselves.

     -H      If the -R option is also specified,  symbolic  links
on the command
             line  are  followed.  (Symbolic links encountered in
the tree
             traversal are not followed.)

     -L      If the -R option is  also  specified,  all  symbolic
links are followed.


     -P       If  the  -R  option  is also specified, no symbolic
links are followed.


     Flags are a comma separated list of keywords.  The following
keywords are
     currently defined:

           arch    set the archived flag
           opaque  set the opaque flag (owner or superuser only)
           nodump  set the nodump flag (owner or superuser only)
           sappnd  set the system append-only flag (superuser only)
           schg    set the system immutable flag (superuser only)
           uappnd   set the user append-only flag (owner or superuser only)
           uchg    set the user immutable flag (owner or superuser only)

     An immutable file may not be changed, moved, or deleted.  An
append-only
     file is immutable except that data may be appended to it.

     Putting the letters ``no'' before a  flag  name  causes  the
flag to be
     turned off.  For example:

           nouchg    the immutable bit should be cleared

     The  superuser-settable ``sappnd'' and ``schg'' flags can be
set at any
     time, but may only be cleared when the system is running  at
security level
  0  or -1 (insecure or permanently insecure mode, respectively).  The
     securelevel is normally set to 0, for example, when  running
in single-user
 mode.

     Symbolic links do not have flags, so unless the -H or -L option is set,
     chflags on a symbolic link always succeeds and  has  no  effect.  The -H,
     -L, and -P options are ignored unless the -R option is specified.  In addition,
 these options override each other and the  command's
actions are
     determined by the last one specified.

     Only  the  superuser  can change the user flags on block and
character devices.


     You can use ls -lo to see the flags of existing files.

     The chflags utility exits 0 on success or >0 if an error occurred.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     ls(1), chflags(2), stat(2), fts(3), symlink(7)

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     The chflags command first appeared in 4.4BSD.

OpenBSD      3.6                            May      2,      1995