[ Previous | Next | Table of Contents | Index | Library Home |
Legal |
Search ]
Commands Reference, Volume 3
Installs a command.
/usr/bin/install [- c DirectoryA] [- f DirectoryB] [- i] [- m] [- M Mode] [- O Owner] [- G Group] [- S] [- n
DirectoryC] [- o] [- s] File [Directory
... ]
The install command
installs a specified file in a specific place within a file system. It
is most often used in makefiles. When replacing files, the
install command copies (or moves) each file into the appropriate
directory, thereby retaining the original owner and permissions based on the
behavior of the cp and mv commands. An attempt is
made to change the destination to owner bin and group
bin. The -O Owner and
-G Group flags can be used to specify a different owner
or group. The install command writes a message telling you
exactly which files it is replacing or creating and where they are
going.
You must be a super-user if you want to specify the ownership of the
installed file with the -O or -G flags.
If you do not specify the
Directory parameter, the install command searches a set
of default directories (/usr/bin, /etc, and
/usr/lib, in that order) for a file with the same name as the
File parameter. The first time it finds one, it overwrites
it with File and issues a message indicating that it has done
so. If a match is not found, the install command issues a
message telling you there was no match and exits with no further
action. If the File parameter does not exist in the current
directory, the install command displays an error message and exits
with a nonzero value.
If any directories are specified
on the command line, the install command searches them before it
searches the default directories.
| -c DirectoryA
| Installs a new command file in the DirectoryA variable only if
that file does not already exist there. If it finds a copy of
File there, it issues a message and exits without overwriting the
file. This flag can be used alone or with the -s,
-M, -O, -G, or -S flag.
|
| -f DirectoryB
| Forces installation of File in DirectoryB whether
or not File already exists. If the file being installed does
not already exist, the command sets the permission code and owner of the new
file to 755 and bin, respectively. This flag can
be used alone or with the -o,-s, -M, -O, -G, or
-S flag.
|
| -G Group
| Specifies a different group for the destination file. The default
group is bin.
|
| -i
| Ignores the default directory list and searches only those directories
specified on the command line. This flag cannot be used with the
-c, -f, or -m flags.
|
| -m
| Moves the File parameter to the directory instead of being
copied. Cannot be used with the -c, -f,
-i, or -n flag.
|
| -M Mode
| Specifies the mode of the destination file.
|
| -n DirectoryC
| Installs the File parameter in the DirectoryC
variable if it is not in any of the searched directories, and sets the
permissions and owner of the file to 755 and bin,
respectively. This flag cannot be used with the -c,
-f, or -m flag.
|
| -o
| Saves the old copy of the File parameter by copying it into a
file called OLDFile in the same directory. This
flag cannot be used with the -c flag.
|
| -O Owner
| Specifies a different owner of the destination file. The default
owner is bin.
|
| -s
| Suppresses the display of all but error messages.
|
| -S
| Causes the binary to be stripped after installation.
|
- To replace a command that
already exists in one of the default directories, enter:
install fixit
This replaces the fixit file if it is found in the
/usr/bin, /etc, or /usr/lib directory.
Otherwise, the fixit file is not installed. For example, if
/usr/bin/fixit exists, then this file is replaced by a copy of the
file fixit in the current directory.
- To replace a command that
already exists in a specified or default directory and to preserve the old
version, enter:
install -o fixit /etc /usr/games
This replaces the fixit file if it is found in the
/etc or /usr/games directory or in one of the default
directories. Otherwise the fixit file is not
installed. If the file is replaced, the old version is preserved by
renaming it OLDfixit in the directory in which it was found.
- To replace a command that
already exists in a specified directory, enter:
install -i fixit /home/jim/bin /home/joan/bin /usr/games
This replaces the fixit file if it is found in the
/home/jim/bin, /home/joan/bin, or /usr/games
directory. Otherwise, the file is not installed.
- To replace a command found in
a default directory or install it in a specified directory if it is not found,
enter:
install -n /usr/bin fixit
This replaces the fixit file if it is found in one of the
default directories. If the file is not found, it is installed as
/usr/bin/fixit.
- To install a new command,
enter:
install -c /usr/bin fixit
This creates a new command by installing a copy of the
fixit file as /usr/bin/fixit, but only if this file does
not already exist.
- To install a command in a
specified directory whether or not it already exists, enter:
install -f /usr/bin -o -s fixit
This forces the fixit file to be installed as
/usr/bin/fixit whether or not it already exists. The old
version, if any, is preserved by moving it to /usr/bin/OLDfixit (a
result of the -o flag). The messages that tell where the new
command is installed are suppressed (a result of the -s
flag).
For compatibility with Berkeley
Software Distribution (BSD), two install commands exist. See
the installbsd command.
| /usr/bin/install
| Contains the install command.
|
The chgrp command, chmod command, chown command, cp
command, installbsd command, make command, mv command, strip command.
[ Previous | Next | Table of Contents | Index |
Library Home |
Legal |
Search ]