4.3BSD-Reno/share/man/cat1/chmod.0
CHMOD(1) UNIX Reference Manual CHMOD(1)
NNAAMMEE
cchhmmoodd change file modes
SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
cchhmmoodd [--ffRR] _m_o_d_e _f_i_l_e ...
DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
The cchhmmoodd utility modifies the file mode bits of the listed files as
specified by the _m_o_d_e operand.
The options are as follows:
--ff cchhmmoodd will still exit 0 and not complain if it fails to change the
mode on a file.
--RR Traverse a file hierarchy. For each file that is of type directo-
ry, cchhmmoodd changes the mode of all files in the file hierarchy below
it followed by the mode of the directory itself.
Symbolic links are not indirected through, nor are their modes altered.
Only the owner of a file or the super-user is permitted to change the
mode of a file.
The cchhmmoodd utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.
MMOODDEESS
Modes may be absolute or symbolic. An absolute mode is an octal number
constructed by _o_r'ing the following values:
4000 set-user-ID-on-execution
2000 set-group-ID-on-execution
1000 sticky bit, see chmod(2)
0400 read by owner
0200 write by owner
0100 execute (or search for directories) by owner
0070 read, write, execute/search by group
0007 read, write, execute/search by others
The read, write, and execute/search values for group and others are en-
coded as described for owner.
The symbolic mode is described by the following grammar:
mode ::= clause [, clause]
clause ::= [who ...] [action ...] last_action
action ::= op perm ...
last_action ::= op [perm ...]
who ::= a | u | g | o
op ::= + | - | =
perm ::= r | s | t | w |
The _w_h_o symbols ``u'', ``g'', and ``o'' specify the user, group, and oth-
er parts of the mode bits, respectively. The _w_h_o symbol ``a'' is
equivalent to ``ugo''.
The _p_e_r_m symbols represent the portions of the mode bits as follows:
r The read bits.
s The set-user-ID-on-execution and set-group-ID-on-execution
bits.
t The sticky bit.
w The write bits.
x The execute/search bits.
X The execute/search bits if the file is a directory or any of
the execute/search bits are set in the original (unmodified)
mode. Operations with the _p_e_r_m symbol ``X'' are only mean-
ingful in conjunction with the _o_p symbol ``+'', and it is ig-
nored in all other cases.
The _o_p symbols represent the operation performed, as follows:
+ If no value is supplied for _p_e_r_m, the ``+'' operation has no ef-
fect. If no value is supplied for _w_h_o, each permission bit speci-
fied in _p_e_r_m, for which the corresponding bit in the file mode
creation mask is clear, is set. Otherwise, the mode bits
represented by the specified _w_h_o and _p_e_r_m values are set.
- If no value is supplied for _p_e_r_m, the ``-'' operation has no ef-
fect. If no value is supplied for _w_h_o, the mode bits represented
by _p_e_r_m are cleared for the owner, group and other permissions.
Otherwise, the mode bits represented by the specified _w_h_o and _p_e_r_m
values are cleared.
= The mode bits specified by the _w_h_o value are cleared, or, if no who
value is specified, the owner, group and other mode bits are
cleared. Then, if no value is supplied for _w_h_o, each permission
bit specified in _p_e_r_m, for which the corresponding bit in the file
mode creation mask is clear, is set. Otherwise, the mode bits
represented by the specified _w_h_o and _p_e_r_m values are set.
Each _c_l_a_u_s_e specifies one or more operations to be performed on the mode
bits, and each operation is applied to the mode bits in the order speci-
fied.
Operations upon the other permissions only (specified by the symbol ``o''
by itself), in combination with the _p_e_r_m symbols ``s'' or ``t'', are ig-
nored.
EEXXAAMMPPLLEESS
``644'' make a file readable by anyone and writable by the owner
only.
``go-w'' deny write permission to group and others.
``=rw,+X''
set the read and write permissions to the usual defaults, but
retain any execute permissions that are currently set.
``+X'' make a directory or file searchable/executable by everyone if
it is already searchable/executable by anyone.
``755'' or ``u=rwx,go=rx''
make a file readable/executable by everyone and writeable by
the owner only.
``go='' clear all mode bits for group and others.
BBUUGGSS
There's no _p_e_r_m option for the naughty bits.
SSEEEE AALLSSOO
install(1), chmod(2), fts(2), stat(2), umask(2), setmode(3), chown(8)
SSTTAANNDDAARRDDSS
The cchhmmoodd utility is expected to be POSIX 1003.2 compatible with the ex-
ception of the _p_e_r_m symbols ``t'' and ``X'' which are not included in
that standard.