CHFLAGS(1)						    BSD General Commands Manual 						CHFLAGS(1)

NAME

     chflags -- change file flags

SYNOPSIS

     chflags [-fhv] [-R [-H | -L | -P]] flags file ...

DESCRIPTION

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

     The options are as follows:

     -f      Do not display a diagnostic message if chflags could not modify the flags for file, nor modify the exit status to reflect such fail-
	     ures.

     -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.)

     -h      If the file is a symbolic link, change the file flags of the link itself rather than the file to which it points.

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

     -v      Cause chflags to be verbose, showing filenames as the flags are modified.	If the -v option is specified more than once, the old and
	     new flags of the file will also be printed, in octal notation.

     The flags are specified as an octal number or a comma separated list of keywords.	The following keywords are currently defined:

	   arch, archived
		   set the archived flag (super-user only)

	   opaque  set the opaque flag (owner or super-user only).  [Directory is opaque when viewed through a union mount]

	   nodump  set the nodump flag (owner or super-user only)

	   sappnd, sappend
		   set the system append-only flag (super-user only)

	   schg, schange, simmutable
		   set the system immutable flag (super-user only)

	   uappnd, uappend
		   set the user append-only flag (owner or super-user only)

	   uchg, uchange, uimmutable
		   set the user immutable flag (owner or super-user only)

	   hidden  set the hidden flag [Hide item from GUI]

     As discussed in chflags(2), the sappnd and schg flags may only be unset when the system is in single-user mode.

     Putting the letters ``no'' before or removing the letters ``no'' from a keyword causes the flag to be cleared.  For example:

	   nouchg  clear the user immutable flag (owner or super-user only)
	   dump    clear the nodump flag (owner or super-user only)

     Unless the -H or -L options are given, chflags on a symbolic link always succeeds and has no effect.  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.

     You can use "ls -lO" to see the flags of existing files.

EXIT STATUS

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

SEE ALSO

     ls(1), chflags(2), stat(2), fts(3), symlink(7)

HISTORY

     The chflags command first appeared in 4.4BSD.

BUGS

     Only a limited number of utilities are chflags aware.  Some of these tools include ls(1), cp(1), find(1), install(1), dump(8), and
     restore(8).  In particular a tool which is not currently chflags aware is the pax(1) utility.

BSD
								   March 3, 2006							       BSD