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.\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE! It was generated by help2man 1.50.1.
.TH INSTALL "1" "February 2026" "GNU coreutils 9.10" "User Commands"
.SH NAME
install \- copy files and set attributes
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B install
[\fI\,OPTION\/\fR]... [\fI\,-T\/\fR] \fI\,SOURCE DEST\/\fR
.br
.B install
[\fI\,OPTION\/\fR]... \fI\,SOURCE\/\fR... \fI\,DIRECTORY\/\fR
.br
.B install
[\fI\,OPTION\/\fR]... \fI\,-t DIRECTORY SOURCE\/\fR...
.br
.B install
[\fI\,OPTION\/\fR]... \fI\,-d DIRECTORY\/\fR...
.SH DESCRIPTION
.\" Add any additional description here
.PP
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 \fByum\fP(1) or \fBapt\-get\fP(1).
.PP
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).
.PP
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install--backup'\fB\-\-backup[=CONTROL]\fP\X'tty: link'
make a backup of each existing destination file
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-b'\fB\-b\fP\X'tty: link'
like \fB\-\-backup\fR but does not accept an argument
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-c'\fB\-c\fP\X'tty: link'
(ignored)
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-C'\fB\-C, \-\-compare\fP\X'tty: link'
compare content of source and destination files,
and if no change to content, ownership, and permissions,
do not modify the destination at all
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-d'\fB\-d, \-\-directory\fP\X'tty: link'
treat all arguments as directory names;
create all components of the specified directories
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-D'\fB\-D\fP\X'tty: link'
create all leading components of DEST except the last,
or all components of \fB\-\-target\-directory\fR,
then copy SOURCE to DEST
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install--debug'\fB\-\-debug\fP\X'tty: link'
explain how a file is copied. Implies \fB\-v\fR
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-g'\fB\-g, \-\-group=\,GROUP\fP\X'tty: link'\/\fR
set group ownership, instead of process' current group
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-m'\fB\-m, \-\-mode=\,MODE\fP\X'tty: link'\/\fR
set permission mode (as in chmod), instead of rwxr\-xr\-x
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-o'\fB\-o, \-\-owner=\,OWNER\fP\X'tty: link'\/\fR
set ownership (super\-user only)
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-p'\fB\-p, \-\-preserve\-timestamps\fP\X'tty: link'
apply access/modification times of SOURCE files
to corresponding destination files
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-s'\fB\-s, \-\-strip\fP\X'tty: link'
strip symbol tables
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install--strip-program'\fB\-\-strip\-program=PROGRAM\fP\X'tty: link'
program used to strip binaries
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-S'\fB\-S, \-\-suffix=\,SUFFIX\fP\X'tty: link'\/\fR
override the usual backup suffix
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-t'\fB\-t, \-\-target\-directory=\,DIRECTORY\fP\X'tty: link'\/\fR
copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-T'\fB\-T, \-\-no\-target\-directory\fP\X'tty: link'
treat DEST as a normal file
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-v'\fB\-v, \-\-verbose\fP\X'tty: link'
print the name of each created file or directory
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install--preserve-context'\fB\-\-preserve\-context\fP\X'tty: link'
preserve SELinux security context
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install-Z'\fB\-Z\fP\X'tty: link'
set SELinux security context of destination file
and each created directory, to default type
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#install--context'\fB\-\-context[=CTX]\fP\X'tty: link'
like \fB\-Z\fR, or if CTX is specified then set the
SELinux or SMACK security context to CTX
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/install#install--help'\fB\-\-help\fP\X'tty: link'
display this help and exit
.TP
\X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/install#install--version'\fB\-\-version\fP\X'tty: link'
output version information and exit
.PP
The backup suffix is '~', unless set with \fB\-\-suffix\fR or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.
The version control method may be selected via the \fB\-\-backup\fR option or through
the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values:
.TP
none, off
never make backups (even if \fB\-\-backup\fR is given)
.TP
numbered, t
make numbered backups
.TP
existing, nil
numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
.TP
simple, never
always make simple backups
.SH AUTHOR
Written by David MacKenzie.
.SH "REPORTING BUGS"
Report bugs to: bug\-coreutils@gnu.org
.br
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
.br
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
.br
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>
.SH COPYRIGHT
Copyright \(co 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
.br
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
\fBcp\fP(1)
.PP
.br
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/install>
.br
or available locally via: info \(aq(coreutils) install invocation\(aq
|
