INSTALL(1)                                             INSTALL(1)



NAME

       install - copy files and set attributes


SYNOPSIS

       install [options] [-s] [--strip] source dest
       install [options] [-s] [--strip] source... directory
       install [options] [-d,--directory] directory...

       Options (shortest form):
       [-b] [-c] [-D] [-g group] [-m mode] [-o owner] [-S SUFFIX]
       [-V {numbered,existing,simple}] [--help] [--version] [--]


DESCRIPTION

       install copies files while setting their permission  modes
       and, if possible, their owner and group.

       In the first of these invocation forms, the source file is
       copied to the dest target file.  In the  second,  each  of
       the  source files are copied to the destination directory.
       In the last, each directory (and any missing parent direc-
       tories) is created.

       install  is  similar  to cp, but allows you to control the
       attributes of destination files.  It is typically used  in
       Makefiles to copy programs into their destination directo-
       ries.  It refuses to copy files onto themselves.



OPTIONS

       -c     Ignored; for compatibility with old  Unix  versions
              of install.

       -d, --directory
              Create  each given directory and any missing parent
              directories, setting the owner, group and  mode  as
              given  on  the command line or to the defaults.  It
              also gives any parent directories it creates  those
              attributes.   (This is different from the SunOS 4.x
              install, which gives directories  that  it  creates
              the default attributes.)

       -D     Create  all  leading  components of the dest except
              the last, then copy source to dest.  This option is
              useful  in the first format in the synopsis, above.
              (New in fileutils-4.0.)

       -g group, --group=group
              Set the  group  ownership  of  installed  files  or
              directories to group.  The default is the process's
              current group.  group may be either a group name or
              a numeric group id.

       -m mode, --mode=mode
              Set  the  permissions  for  the  installed  file or



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              directory to mode, which can  be  either  an  octal
              number,  or  a symbolic mode as in chmod, with 0 as
              the point of departure. The default mode is 0755  -
              read,  write,  and  execute for the owner, and read
              and execute for group and other.

       -o owner, --owner=owner
              If install has appropriate privileges  (is  run  as
              root),  set  the  ownership  of  installed files or
              directories  to  owner.   The  default  is  `root'.
              owner  may  be either a user name or a numeric user
              ID.

       -s, --strip
              Strip the symbol tables from installed binary  exe-
              cutables.


GNU BACKUP OPTIONS

       The  GNU versions of programs like cp, mv, ln, install and
       patch will make a backup of files about to be overwritten,
       changed or destroyed if that is desired. That backup files
       are desired is indicated by the -b option. How they should
       be  named is specified by the -V option.  In case the name
       of the backup file is  given  by  the  name  of  the  file
       extended  by  a suffix, this suffix is specified by the -S
       option.

       -b, --backup
              Make backups of files that are about  to  be  over-
              written or removed.

       -S SUFFIX, --suffix=SUFFIX
              Append  SUFFIX  to  each backup file made.  If this
              option is not specified,  the  value  of  the  SIM-
              PLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX  environment  variable  is  used.
              And if SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX is not set, the default
              is `~'.

       -V METHOD, --version-control=METHOD
              Specify  how  backup  files  are  named. The METHOD
              argument can be `numbered' (or `t'), `existing' (or
              `nil'),  or  `never' (or `simple').  If this option
              is not specified, the value of the  VERSION_CONTROL
              environment  variable is used.  And if VERSION_CON-
              TROL is not set, the default backup type is `exist-
              ing'.

              This option corresponds to the Emacs variable `ver-
              sion-control'.   The  valid  METHODs  are   (unique
              abbreviations are accepted):

              t, numbered
                     Always make numbered backups.




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              nil, existing
                     Make  numbered backups of files that already
                     have them, simple backups of the others.

              never, simple
                     Always make simple backups.


GNU STANDARD OPTIONS

       --help Print a usage message on standard output  and  exit
              successfully.

       --version
              Print  version information on standard output, then
              exit successfully.

       --     Terminate option list.


ENVIRONMENT

       The variables LANG, LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE and LC_MESSAGES  have
       the usual meaning. For the GNU version, the variables SIM-
       PLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX and VERSION_CONTROL control backup  file
       naming, as described above.


CONFORMING TO

       BSD 4.2 (which had the -c, -m, -o, -g and -s options).


NOTES

       This  page describes install as found in the fileutils-4.0
       package; other versions may differ slightly.  Mail correc-
       tions  and  additions  to  aeb@cwi.nl.  Report bugs in the
       program to fileutils-bugs@gnu.ai.mit.edu.


























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