chown [-fhv] [-R [-H | -L | -P]] :group file ...

DESCRIPTION

     The chown utility changes the user ID and/or the group ID of the speci-
     fied files.  Symbolic links named by arguments are silently left
     unchanged unless -h is used.

     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.
             This is the default.

     -R      Change the user ID and/or the group ID for the file hierarchies
             rooted in the files instead of just the files themselves.

     -f      Don't report any failure to change file owner or group, nor mod-
             ify the exit status to reflect such failures.

     -h      If the file is a symbolic link, change the user ID and/or the
             group ID of the link itself.

     -v      Cause chown to be verbose, showing files as the owner 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 owner and group operands are both optional, however, one must be
     specified.  If the group operand is specified, it must be preceded by a
     colon (``:'') character.

     The owner may be either a numeric user ID or a user name.  If a user name
     is also a numeric user ID, the operand is used as a user name.  The group
     may be either a numeric group ID or a group name.  If a group name is
     also a numeric group ID, the operand is used as a group name.

     The ownership of a file may only be altered by a super-user for obvious
     security reasons.

DIAGNOSTICS

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

COMPATIBILITY

     Previous versions of the chown utility used the dot (``.'') character to
     distinguish the group name.  This has been changed to be a colon (``:'')
     A chown utility appeared in Version 1 AT&T UNIX.

BSD                             March 31, 1994                             BSD