INSTALL

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: December 2009
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NAME

install - copy files and set attributes  

SYNOPSIS

install [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
install [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
install [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...
install [OPTION]... -d DIRECTORY...  

DESCRIPTION

This install program copies files (often just compiled) into destination locations you choose. If you want to download and install a ready-to-use package on a GNU/Linux system, you should instead be using a package manager like yum(1) or apt-get(1).

In the first three forms, copy SOURCE to DEST or multiple SOURCE(s) to the existing DIRECTORY, while setting permission modes and owner/group. In the 4th form, create all components of the given DIRECTORY(ies).

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

--backup[=CONTROL]
make a backup of each existing destination file
-b
like --backup but does not accept an argument
-c
(ignored)
-C, --compare
compare each pair of source and destination files, and in some cases, do not modify the destination at all
-d, --directory
treat all arguments as directory names; create all components of the specified directories
-D
create all leading components of DEST except the last, then copy SOURCE to DEST
-g, --group=GROUP
set group ownership, instead of process' current group
-m, --mode=MODE
set permission mode (as in chmod), instead of rwxr-xr-x
-o, --owner=OWNER
set ownership (super-user only)
-p, --preserve-timestamps
apply access/modification times of SOURCE files to corresponding destination files
-s, --strip
strip symbol tables
--strip-program=PROGRAM
program used to strip binaries
-S, --suffix=SUFFIX
override the usual backup suffix
-t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY
-T, --no-target-directory
treat DEST as a normal file
-v, --verbose
print the name of each directory as it is created
-P, --preserve-context (SELinux) preserve security context
-Z, --context=CONTEXT
(SELinux) set security context of files and directories
--help
display this help and exit
--version
output version information and exit

The backup suffix is `~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values:

none, off
never make backups (even if --backup is given)
numbered, t
make numbered backups
existing, nil
numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
simple, never
always make simple backups
 

AUTHOR

Written by David MacKenzie.  

REPORTING BUGS

Report install bugs to bug-coreutils@gnu.org
GNU coreutils home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>  

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.  

SEE ALSO

The full documentation for install is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and install programs are properly installed at your site, the command
info coreutils aqinstall invocationaq

should give you access to the complete manual.