CHOWN(8)                NetBSD System Manager's Manual                CHOWN(8)

NNAAMMEE
     cchhoowwnn - change file owner and group

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     cchhoowwnn [--RR [--HH | --LL | --PP]] [--ffhh] _o_w_n_e_r [_:_g_r_o_u_p] _f_i_l_e _._._.
     cchhoowwnn [--RR [--HH | --LL | --PP]] [--ffhh] _:_g_r_o_u_p _f_i_l_e _._._.

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     cchhoowwnn sets the user ID and/or the group ID of the specified files.

     The options are as follows:

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

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

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

     --RR      Change the user ID and/or the group ID for the file hierarchies
             rooted in the files instead of just the files themselves.

     --ff      Don't report any failure to change file owner or group, nor modi-
             fy the exit status to reflect such failures.

     --hh      If _f_i_l_e is a symbolic link, the owner and/or group of the link is
             changed.

     If --hh is not given, unless the --HH or --LL option is set, cchhoowwnn on a symbol-
     ic link always succeeds and has no effect.  The --HH, --LL and --PP options are
     ignored unless the --RR option is specified.  In addition, these options
     override each other and the command's actions are determined by the last
     one specified.

     The _o_w_n_e_r and _g_r_o_u_p operands are both optional, however, one must be
     specified.  If the _g_r_o_u_p operand is specified, it must be preceded by a
     colon (``:'') character.

     The _o_w_n_e_r may be either a numeric user ID or a user name.  If a user name
     is also a numeric user ID, the operand is used as a user name.  The _g_r_o_u_p
     may be either a numeric group ID or a group name.  If a group name is al-
     so a numeric group ID, the operand is used as a group name.

     The ownership of a file may only be altered by a super-user for obvious
     security reasons.

     The cchhoowwnn utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

CCOOMMPPAATTIIBBIILLIITTYY
     Previous versions of the cchhoowwnn utility used the dot (``.'') character to
     distinguish the group name.  This has been changed to be a colon (``:'')
     character so that user and group names may contain the dot character.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     chgrp(1),  find(1),  chown(2),  lchown(2),  fts(3),  symlink(7)

SSTTAANNDDAARRDDSS
     The cchhoowwnn command is expected to be POSIX 1003.2 compliant.

4th Berkeley Distribution       March 31, 1994                               1
