that resolves to @file{/}. If you really want to try to remove all
the files on your system, you can use the @option{--no-preserve-root}
option, but the default behavior, specified by the
-@option{--preserve-option}, is safer for most purposes.
+@option{--preserve-root} option, is safer for most purposes.
The commands @command{chgrp}, @command{chmod} and @command{chown}
can also operate destructively on entire hierarchies, so they too
@table @samp
+@item --dereference
+@opindex --dereference
+Do not affect symbolic links but what they refer to; this is the default.
+
@item -h
@itemx --no-dereference
@opindex -h
@opindex --no-dereference
@cindex no dereference
-Affect symbolic links instead of any referenced file.
+Affect the symbolic links themselves instead of any referenced file.
@item --reference=@var{rfile}
@opindex --reference
@opindex --recursive
Operate on files and directories recursively.
+@item --preserve-root
+@opindex --preserve-root
+Refuse to operate recursively on the root directory, @file{/},
+when used together with the @option{--recursive} option.
+@xref{Treating / specially}.
+
+@item --no-preserve-root
+@opindex --no-preserve-root
+Do not treat the root directory, @file{/}, specially when operating
+recursively; this is the default.
+@xref{Treating / specially}.
+
@choptH
@xref{Traversing symlinks}.
-l, --range=RANGE set range RANGE in the target security context\n\
"), stdout);
fputs (_("\
+ --no-preserve-root do not treat '/' specially (the default)\n\
+ --preserve-root fail to operate recursively on '/'\n\
+"), stdout);
+ fputs (_("\
--reference=RFILE use RFILE's security context rather than specifying\n\
a CONTEXT value\n\
"), stdout);