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CHFLAGS(1)		  BSD General Commands Manual		    CHFLAGS(1)

NAME
     chflags --	change file flags

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

DESCRIPTION
     The chflags utility modifies the file flags of the	listed files as	speci-
     fied by the flags operand.

     The options are as	follows:

     -f	     Do	not display a diagnostic message if chflags could not modify
	     the flags for file, nor modify the	exit status to reflect such
	     failures.

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

     -h	     If	the file is a symbolic link, change the	file flags of the link
	     itself rather than	the file to which it points.

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

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

     -R	     Change the	file flags for the file	hierarchies rooted in the
	     files instead of just the files themselves.

     -v	     Cause chflags to be verbose, showing filenames as the flags are
	     modified.	If the -v option is specified more than	once, the old
	     and new flags of the file will also be printed, in	octal nota-
	     tion.

     The flags are specified as	an octal number	or a comma separated list of
     keywords.	The following keywords are currently defined:

	   arch, archived
		   set the archived flag (super-user only)

	   opaque  set the opaque flag (owner or super-user only)

	   nodump  set the nodump flag (owner or super-user only)

	   sappnd, sappend
		   set the system append-only flag (super-user only)

	   schg, schange, simmutable
		   set the system immutable flag (super-user only)

	   sunlnk, sunlink
		   set the system undeletable flag (super-user only)

	   uappnd, uappend
		   set the user	append-only flag (owner	or super-user only)

	   uchg, uchange, uimmutable
		   set the user	immutable flag (owner or super-user only)

	   uunlnk, uunlink
		   set the user	undeletable flag (owner	or super-user only)

     Putting the letters "no" before or	removing the letters "no" from a key-
     word causes the flag to be	cleared.  For example:

	   nouchg  clear the user immutable flag (owner	or super-user only)
	   dump	   clear the nodump flag (owner	or super-user only)

     A few of the octal	values include:

	   0   Clear all file flags.

	   1   Translates to the nodump	keyword.

	   2   Translates to the uchg keyword.

	   3   Translates to the uchg, nodump keywords.

	   4   Translates to the uappnd	keyword.

	   10  Translates to the opaque	keyword.

	   20  translates to the uunlnk	keyword.

     Other combinations	of keywords may	be placed by using the octets as-
     signed; however, these are	the most notable.

     Unless the	-H, -L,	or -h options are given, 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 spec-
     ified.

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

     Note that the ability to change certain flags is dependent	on the current
     kernel securelevel	setting.  See security(7) for more information on this
     setting.

EXIT STATUS
     The chflags utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error	occurs.

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

HISTORY
     The chflags command first appeared	in 4.4BSD.

BUGS
     Only a limited number of utilities	are chflags aware.  Some of these
     tools include ls(1), cp(1), find(1), install(1), dump(8), and restore(8).
     In	particular a tool which	is not currently chflags aware is the pax(1)
     utility.

BSD				 March 3, 2006				   BSD

NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | EXIT STATUS | SEE ALSO | HISTORY | BUGS

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