chown(1)chown(1)NAME
chown, chgrp - change file owner or group
SYNOPSIS
] ] ownergroup] file ...
] ] group file ...
DESCRIPTION
The command changes the owner ID of each specified file to owner and
optionally the group ID of each specified file to group.
The command changes the group ID of each specified file to group.
In order to change the owner or group, you must own the file and have
the CHOWN privilege (see setprivgrp(1M)). If either command is invoked
on a regular file by other than the superuser, the set-user-ID and set-
group-ID bits of the file mode (04000 and 02000 respectively) are
cleared. Note that a given user's or group's ability to use this com‐
mand can be restricted by (see setprivgrp(1M)).
Options
and recognize the following options:
Change the owner or group of a symbolic link.
By default, the owner or group of the target file that
a symbolic link points to is changed. With the target
file that the symbolic link points to is not affected.
If the target file is a directory, and you specify and
recursion does not take place.
If the option is specified and a symbolic link referencing a
directory is specified on the command line, the owner
or group of the directory referenced by the symbolic
link and all files in the file hierarchy below it are
changed.
If the option is specified and a symbolic link referencing a
directory is encountered on the command line or during
the traversal of a file hierarchy, the owner or group
of the directory referenced by the symbolic link and
all files in the file hierarchy below it are changed.
If the option is specified and a symbolic link is encountered
on the command line or during the traversal of a file
hierarchy, the owner or group of the symbolic link are
changed. The utility shall not follow the symbolic
link to any other part of the file hierarchy.
Recursively change the owner or group.
For each file operand that names a directory, the
owner or group of the directory and all files and sub‐
directories in the file hierarchy below it are
changed.
Operands
and recognize the following operands:
file Target file for which the ownership is changed.
group Either a decimal group ID or a group name found in the
file.
owner Either a decimal user ID or a login name found in the
file.
Access Control Lists - HFS File Systems Only
Users can permit or deny specific individuals and groups to access a
file by setting optional ACL entries in the file's access control list
(see acl(5)). When using in conjunction with HFS ACLs, if the new
owner and/or group of a file does not have an optional ACL entry corre‐
sponding to and/or in the file's access control list, the file's access
permission bits remain unchanged. However, if the new owner and/or
group is already designated by an optional ACL entry of and/or in the
file's ACL, sets the corresponding file access permission bits (and the
corresponding base ACL entries) to the permissions contained in that
entry.
Access Control Lists - JFS File Systems Only
Users can permit or deny specific individuals and groups to access a
file by setting optional ACL entries in the file's access control list
(see aclv(5)). When using in conjunction with JFS ACLs, if the new
owner and/or group of a file have optional ACL entries corresponding to
and/or in the file's access control list, those entries remain in the
ACL but no longer have any effect, being superseded by the file's
and/or entries.
Options
and recognize the following options:
Change the owner or group of a symbolic link.
By default, the owner or group of the target file that
a symbolic link points to is changed. With the target
file that the symbolic link points to is not affected.
If the target file is a directory, and you specify and
recursion does not take place.
Recursively change the owner or group.
For each file operand that names a directory, the
owner or group of the directory and all files and sub‐
directories in the file hierarchy below it are
changed.
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES
Environment Variables
determines the language in which messages are displayed.
If is not specified in the environment or is set to the empty string,
the value of is used as a default for each unspecified or empty vari‐
able. If is not specified or is set to the empty string, a default of
"C" (see lang(5)) is used instead of
If any internationalization variable contains an invalid setting,
behaves as if all internationalization variables are set to "C". See
environ(5).
International Code Set Support
Single- and multi-byte character code sets are supported.
RETURN VALUE
and return the following values:
Successful completion.
An error condition occurred.
EXAMPLES
The following command changes the owner of the file to
The following command searches the directory and changes each file in
that directory to owner and group
WARNINGS
The default operation of and for symbolic links has changed as of HP-UX
release 10.0. Use the option to get the former default operation.
FILESSEE ALSOchmod(1), setprivgrp(1M), chown(2), group(4), passwd(4), acl(5),
aclv(5).
STANDARDS CONFORMANCEchown(1)
