NAME

install − install commands

SYNOPSIS

install [ −c  dira ] [ −f  dirb ] [ −i ] [ −n  dirc ] [ −o ] [ −s ] file [ dirx ... ]

DESCRIPTION

Install is a command most commonly used in “makefiles” (see make(1)) to install a file (updated target file) in a specific place within a file system.  Each file is installed by copying it into the appropriate directory, thereby retaining the mode and owner of the original command.  The program prints messages telling the user exactly what files it is replacing or creating and where they are going. 

If no options or directories (dirx ...) are given, install will search (using find(1)) a set of default directories (/bin, /usr/bin, /etc, /lib, and /usr/lib, in that order) for a file with the same name as file. When the first occurrence is found, install issues a message saying that it is overwriting that file with file, and proceeds to do so. If the file is not found, the program states this and exits without further action.

If one or more directories (dirx ...) are specified after file, those directories will be searched before the directories specified in the default list.

The meanings of the options are:

−c  dira Installs a new command in the directory specified in dira. Looks for file in dira and installs it there if it is not found.  If it is found, install issues a message saying that the file already exists, and exits without overwriting it.  May be used alone or with the −s option. 

−f  dirb Forces file to be installed in given directory, whether or not one already exists.  If the file being installed does not already exist, the mode and owner of the new file will be set to 755 and bin, respectively.  If the file already exists, the mode and owner will be that of the already existing file.  May be used alone or with the −o or −s options. 

−i Ignores default directory list, searching only through the given directories (dirx ...). May be used alone or with any other options other than −c and −f. 

−n  dirc If file is not found in any of the searched directories, it it put in the directory specified in dirc. The mode and owner of the new file will be set to 755 and bin, respectively.  May be used alone or with any other options other than −c and −f. 

−o If file is found, this option saves the “found” file by copying it to OLDfile in the directory in which it was found.  May be used alone or with any other options other than −c. 

−s Suppresses printing of messages other than error messages.  May be used alone or with any other options. 

SEE ALSO

mk(8). 

May 16, 1980