NAME

chown − change file owner

SYNOPSIS

chown [−R] [−h] owner file ... 

DESCRIPTION

chown changes the owner of the files to owner.  The owner may be either a decimal user ID or a login name found in /etc/passwd file. 

If chown is invoked by other than the super-user, the set-user-ID bit of the file mode, 04000, is cleared. 

Only the owner of a file (or the super-user) may change the owner of that file. 

Valid options to chown are:

−R Recursive.  chown descends through the directory, and any subdirectories, setting the ownership ID as it proceeds.  When symbolic links are encountered, they are traversed. 

−h If the file is a symbolic link, change the owner of the symbolic link.  Without this option, the owner of the file referenced by the symbolic link is changed. 

The operating system has a configuration option {_POSIX_CHOWN_RESTRICTED}, to restrict ownership changes.  When this option is in effect the owner of the file is prevented from changing the owner ID of the file.  Only the super-user can arbitrarily change owner IDs whether this option is in effect or not. 

FILES

/etc/passwd

SEE ALSO

chgrp(1), chmod(1), chown(2), passwd(4). 

NOTES

In a Remote File Sharing environment, you may not have the permissions that the output of the ls −l command leads you to believe. 

  —  Essential Utilities