Copy files and set attributes, copies files while setting their permission modes and, if possible, their owner and group.
Syntax
install [options]... SOURCE DEST
install [options]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
install -d [options]... DIRECTORY...
The 3 variants above install either a single SOURCE file to DEST target
or copy multiple SOURCE files to the destination. In the last variant,
each DIRECTORY (and any missing parent directories) is created.
'install' is similar to 'cp', but allows you to control the
attributes of destination files. It is typically used in Makefiles to
copy programs into their destination directories. It refuses to copy
files onto themselves.
Options
-b
--backup
Make a backup of each file that would otherwise be overwritten or
removed. *Note Backup options::.
-C
Install file, unless target already exists and is the same file,
in which case the modification time is not changed.
-c
Ignored; for compatibility with old Unix versions of 'install'.
-d
--directory
Create each given directory and any missing parent directories,
setting the owner, group and mode as given on the command line or
to the defaults. It also gives any parent directories it creates
those attributes. (This is different from the SunOS 4.x
'install', which gives directories that it creates the default
attributes.)
-g GROUP
--group=GROUP
Set the group ownership of installed files or directories to
GROUP. The default is the process's current group. GROUP can be
either a group name or a numeric group id.
-m MODE
--mode=MODE
Set the permissions for the installed file or directory to MODE,
which can be either an octal number, or a symbolic mode as in
'chmod', with 0 as the point of departure (*note File
permissions::). The default mode is 0755--read, write, and execute
for the owner, and read and execute for group and other.
-o OWNER
--owner=OWNER
If 'install' has appropriate privileges (is run as root), set the
ownership of installed files or directories to OWNER. The default
is 'root'. OWNER can be either a user name or a numeric user ID.
-p
--preserve-timestamps
Set the time of last access and the time of last modification of
each installed file to match those of each corresponding original
file. When a file is installed without this option, its last
access and last modification times are both set to the time of
installation. This option is useful if you want to use the last
modification times of installed files to keep track of when they
were last built as opposed to when they were last installed.
-s
--strip
Strip the symbol tables from installed binary executables.
-S SUFFIX
--suffix=SUFFIX
Append SUFFIX to each backup file made with '-b'.
-v
--verbose
Print the name of each file before copying it.
-V METHOD
--version-control=METHOD
Change the type of backups made with '-b'. The METHOD argument
can be 'numbered' (or 't'), 'existing' (or 'nil'), or 'never' (or
'simple').
"SysAdmins can't be sued for malpractice but surgeons don't have to deal with patients who install new versions of their own innards"
Related linux commands:
cp - Copy one or more files to another location.
Equivalent Windows command: ROBOCOPY - Robust File and Folder Copy.