Linux / Unix Command: chown

Command Library

NAME

chown, fchown, lchown - change ownership of a file  

SYNOPSIS

#include <sys/types.h>
#include <unistd.h>

int chown(const char *path, uid_t owner, gid_t group);
int fchown(int fd, uid_t owner, gid_t group);
int lchown(const char *path, uid_t owner, gid_t group);  

DESCRIPTION

The owner of the file specified by path or by fd is changed. Only the super-user may change the owner of a file. The owner of a file may change the group of the file to any group of which that owner is a member. The super-user may change the group arbitrarily.

If the owner or group is specified as -1, then that ID is not changed.

When the owner or group of an executable file are changed by a non-super-user, the S_ISUID and S_ISGID mode bits are cleared. POSIX does not specify whether this also should happen when root does the chown; the Linux behaviour depends on the kernel version. In case of a non-group-executable file (with clear S_IXGRP bit) the S_ISGID bit indicates mandatory locking, and is not cleared by a chown.

 

RETURN VALUE

On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set appropriately.  

ERRORS

Depending on the file system, other errors can be returned. The more general errors for chown are listed below:

EPERM

The effective UID does not match the owner of the file, and is not zero; or the owner or group were specified incorrectly.

EROFS

The named file resides on a read-only file system.

EFAULT

path points outside your accessible address space.

ENAMETOOLONG

path is too long.

ENOENT

The file does not exist.

ENOMEM

Insufficient kernel memory was available.

ENOTDIR

A component of the path prefix is not a directory.

EACCES

Search permission is denied on a component of the path prefix.

ELOOP

Too many symbolic links were encountered in resolving path.

The general errors for fchown are listed below:

EBADF

The descriptor is not valid.

ENOENT

See above.

EPERM

See above.

EROFS

See above.

EIO

A low-level I/O error occurred while modifying the inode.

 

SEE ALSO

chmod(2), flock(2)

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Important: Use the man command (% man) to see how a command is used on your particular computer.

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