May 2, 1995 CHFLAGS 1

### NAME

chflags - change file flags

### SYNOPSIS

chflags [-H|-L|-P] [-R] [-h] flags

### DESCRIPTION

The chflags utility modifies the file flags of the listed files as specified by the flags operand.

The options are as follows:

-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.)

-L
  If the -R option is specified, all symbolic links are followed.

-P
  If the -R option is specified, no symbolic links are followed.

-R
  Change the file flags for the file hierarchies rooted in the files instead of just the files themselves.

-h
  If the file or a file encountered during directory traversal is a symbolic link, the file flags of the link itself is changed.

Flags are a comma separated list of keywords. The following keywords are currently defined:

  `

      arch    set the archived flag (super-user only)
      opaque  set the opaque flag (owner or super-user only)
      nodump  set the nodump flag (owner or super-user only)
      sappnd  set the system append-only flag (super-user only)
      schg    set the system immutable flag (super-user only)
      uappnd  set the user append-only flag (owner or super-user only)
      uchg    set the user immutable flag (owner or super-user only)

  `

Putting the letters ``no'' before an option causes the flag to be turned off. For example:

  `

      nouchg  the immutable bit should be cleared

  `

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 -o option of ls(1) is used to display the flags.

The chflags utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

The kernel does not allow the flags on block and character devices to be changed except by the super-user.

### SEE ALSO

ls(1), chflags(2), lchflags(2), stat(2), fts(3), symlink(7), dump(8), init(8)