CHGRP(1) BSD General Commands Manual CHGRP(1)NAMEchgrp — change group
SYNOPSISchgrp [-fhv] [-R [-H | -L | -P]] group file ...
DESCRIPTION
The chgrp utility sets the group ID of the file named by each file oper‐
and to the group ID specified by the group operand.
The following options are available:
-f The force option ignores errors, except for usage errors and
doesn't query about strange modes (unless the user does not have
proper permissions).
-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, the group ID of the link itself
is changed rather than the file that is pointed to.
-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. Use -h to change the group ID of a symbolic
link.
-R Change the group ID for the file hierarchies rooted in the files
instead of just the files themselves.
-v Cause chgrp to be verbose, showing files as the group is modi‐
fied.
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 specified.
The group operand can be either a group name from the group database, or
a numeric group ID. If a group name is also a numeric group ID, the op‐
erand is used as a group name.
The user invoking chgrp must belong to the specified group and be the
owner of the file, or be the super-user.
DIAGNOSTICS
The chgrp utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.
COMPATIBILITY
In previous versions of this system, symbolic links did not have groups.
The -v option is non-standard and its use in scripts is not recommended.
FILES
/etc/group group ID file
SEE ALSOchown(2), fts(3), group(5), passwd(5), symlink(7), chown(8)STANDARDS
The chgrp utility is expected to be IEEE Std 1003.2 (“POSIX.2”) compati‐
ble.
BSD March 31, 1994 BSD
