NAME

install − install commands

SYNOPSIS

/etc/install [−c dira] [−f dirb] [−i] [−n dirc] [−o] [−g group] [−s] [−u user] 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. 

Install is useful for installing new commands, or new versions of existing commands, in the standard directories (i.e. /bin, /etc, etc.). 

If no options or directories (dirx ...) are given, install will search 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 (the new version), 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 (file) in the directory specified by dira, only 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 is 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.  This option is useful when installing a normally busy text file such as /bin/sh or /etc/getty, where the existing file cannot be removed.  May be used alone or with any other options other than −c. 

−g  group Causes file to be owned by group group. This option is available only to the super-user. May be used alone or with any other option.

−u  user Causes file to be owned by user user. This option is available only to the super-user. May be used alone or with any other option.

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

When no directories are specified (dirx ...), or when file cannot be placed in one of the directories specified, install checks for the existence of the file /etc/syslist.  If /etc/syslist exists, it is used to determine the final destination of file. If /etc/syslist does not exist, the default directory list is further scanned in order to determine where file is to be located. 

The file /etc/syslist contains a list of absolute pathnames, one per line.  The pathname is the "official" destination (for example /bin/echo) of the file as it appears on a file system. The file /etc/syslist serves as a master list for system command destinations.  If there is no entry for file in the file /etc/syslist then the default directory list is further scanned in order to determine where file is to be located. 

Cross Generation

The environment variable ROOT will be used to locate the locations file (in the form $ROOT/etc/syslist). This is necessary in the cases where cross generation is being done on a production system. Furthermore, each pathname in $ROOT/etc/syslist is appended to $ROOT (for example, $ROOT/bin/echo) and used as the destination for file. Also, the default directories are also appended to $ROOT so that the default directories are actually $ROOT/bin, $ROOT/usr/bin, $ROOT/etc, $ROOT/lib, and $ROOT/usr/lib. 

The file /etc/syslist ($ROOT/etc/syslist) does not exist on a distribution tape; it is created and used by local sites. 

SEE ALSO

cpset(1M), make(1). 

BUGS

Install cannot create alias links for a command (for example, vi(1) is an alias link for ex(1)). 

Hewlett-Packard Company  —  Version B.1,  May 11, 2021