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 speci-
     fied 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
             failures.

     -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 nota-
             tion.

     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