[NAME]
-chmod \- change file access permissions
+chmod \- change file mode bits
[DESCRIPTION]
This manual page
documents the GNU version of
.BR chmod .
.B chmod
-changes the permissions of each given file according to
+changes the file mode bits of each given file according to
.IR mode ,
which can be either a symbolic representation of changes to make, or
-an octal number representing the bit pattern for the new permissions.
+an octal number representing the bit pattern for the new mode bits.
.PP
-The format of a symbolic mode is
-`[ugoa...][[+-=][rwxXstugo...]...][,...]'. Multiple symbolic
-operations can be given, separated by commas.
+The format of a symbolic mode is [\c
+\fBugoa\fP.\|.\|.][[\fB+-=\fP][\fIperms\fP.\|.\|.].\|.\|.],
+where
+.I "perms"
+is either zero or more letters from the set
+\fBrwxXst\fP, or a single letter from the set \fBugo\fP.
+Multiple symbolic
+modes can be given, separated by commas.
.PP
-A combination of the letters `ugoa' controls which users' access to
-the file will be changed: the user who owns it (u), other users in the
-file's group (g), other users not in the file's group (o), or all
-users (a). If none of these are given, the effect is as if `a' were
+A combination of the letters \fBugoa\fP controls which users' access
+to the file will be changed: the user who owns it (\fBu\fP), other
+users in the file's group (\fBg\fP), other users not in the file's
+group (\fBo\fP), or all users (\fBa\fP). If none of these are given,
+the effect is as if \fBa\fP were
given, but bits that are set in the umask are not affected.
.PP
-The operator `+' causes the permissions selected to be added to the
-existing permissions of each file; `-' causes them to be removed; and
-`=' causes them to be the only permissions that the file has.
+The operator \fB+\fP causes the selected file mode bits to be added to
+the existing file mode bits of each file; \fB-\fP causes them to be
+removed; and \fB=\fP causes them to be added and causes unmentioned
+bits to be removed except that a directory's unmentioned set user and
+group ID bits are not affected.
.PP
-The letters `rwxXstugo' select the new permissions for the affected
-users: read (r), write (w), execute (or access for directories) (x),
-execute only if the file is a directory or already has execute
-permission for some user (X), set user or group ID on execution (s),
-sticky (t), the permissions granted to the user who owns the file (u),
-the permissions granted to other users who are members of the file's group (g),
+The letters \fBrwxXst\fP select file mode bits for the affected users:
+read (\fBr\fP), write (\fBw\fP), execute (or search for directories)
+(\fBx\fP), execute/search only if the file is a directory or already
+has execute permission for some user (\fBX\fP), set user or group ID
+on execution (\fBs\fP), restricted deletion flag or sticky bit
+(\fBt\fP). Instead of one or more of these letters, you can specify
+exactly one of the letters \fBugo\fP: the permissions granted to the
+user who owns the file (\fBu\fP), the permissions granted to other
+users who are members of the file's group (\fBg\fP),
and the permissions granted to users that are in neither of the two preceding
-categories (o).
+categories (\fBo\fP).
.PP
-A numeric mode is from one to four octal digits (0-7), derived by
-adding up the bits with values 4, 2, and 1. Any omitted digits are
-assumed to be leading zeros. The first digit selects the set user ID
-(4) and set group ID (2) and sticky (1) attributes. The second digit
+A numeric mode is from one to four octal digits (0\-7), derived by
+adding up the bits with values 4, 2, and 1. Omitted digits are
+assumed to be leading zeros, except that if the first digit is
+omitted, a directory's set user and group ID bits are not affected.
+The first digit selects the set user ID (4) and set group ID (2) and
+restricted deletion or sticky (1) attributes. The second digit
selects permissions for the user who owns the file: read (4), write (2),
and execute (1); the third selects permissions for other users in the
file's group, with the same values; and the fourth for other users not
.B chmod
ignores symbolic links encountered during recursive directory
traversals.
-.SH STICKY FILES
-On older Unix systems, the sticky bit caused executable files to be
-hoarded in swap space. This feature is not useful on modern VM
-systems, and the Linux kernel ignores the sticky bit on files. Other
-kernels may use the sticky bit on files for system-defined purposes.
-On some systems, only the superuser can set the sticky bit on files.
-.SH STICKY DIRECTORIES
-When the sticky bit is set on a directory, a file in that directory may
-be unlinked or renamed only by the directory owner, the file owner, or root.
-Without the sticky bit, anyone able to write to the
-directory can delete or rename files. The sticky bit is commonly found
-on directories, such as /tmp, that are world-writable.
+.SH "RESTRICTED DELETION FLAG OR STICKY BIT"
+The restricted deletion flag or sticky bit is a single bit, whose
+interpretation depends on the file type. For directories, it prevents
+unprivileged users from removing or renaming a file in the directory
+unless they own the file or the directory; this is called the
+.I "restricted deletion flag"
+for the directory, and is commonly found on world-writable directories
+like \fB/tmp\fP. For regular files on some older systems, the bit
+saves the program's text image on the swap device so it will load more
+quickly when run; this is called the
+.IR "sticky bit" .
.SH OPTIONS
[SEE ALSO]
chmod(2)
projects / platform / upstream / coreutils.git / commitdiff