CHFLAGS(1) General Commands Manual CHFLAGS(1)

chflagschange file flags

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

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

The options are as follows:

If the change requested would not alter the flags currently set for file then attempt no change operation.
If the -R option is specified, symbolic links on the command line are followed. Symbolic links encountered in the tree traversal are not followed.
If the file or a file encountered during directory traversal is a symbolic link, the file flags of the link itself are changed.
If the -R option is specified, all symbolic links are followed.
If the -R option is specified, no symbolic links are followed.
Change the file flags for the file hierarchies rooted in the files instead of just the files themselves.

Flags are a comma separated list of keywords. The following keywords are currently defined:

archived super-user only
opaque owner or super-user
nodump owner or super-user
system append-only super-user only
system immutable super-user only
user append-only owner or super-user
user immutable owner or super-user

Putting the letters ‘no’ before a keyword causes the flag to be turned off. For example, nouchg requests the immutable bit should be cleared.

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 default is as if the -P option had been specified.

The -o option of ls(1) is used to display the flags.

The kernel does not allow the flags on block and character devices to be changed except by the super-user.

Note that the ability to clear certain flags is dependent on the current kernel securelevel. See secmodel_securelevel(9) for details.

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

ls(1), chflags(2), lchflags(2), stat(2), fts(3), stat_flags(3), symlink(7), dump(8), init(8), secmodel_securelevel(9)

May 25, 2023 NetBSD 10.99