Manual: gnuinstall

INSTALL(1)						User Commands						  INSTALL(1)

NAME
       install - copy files and set attributes

SYNOPSIS
       install [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
       install [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
       install [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...
       install [OPTION]... -d DIRECTORY...

DESCRIPTION
       This  install program copies files (often just compiled) into destination locations you choose.	If you want to down‐
       load and install a ready-to-use package on a GNU/Linux system, you should instead be using  a  package  manager	like
       yum(1) or apt-get(1).

       In  the first three forms, copy SOURCE to DEST or multiple SOURCE(s) to the existing DIRECTORY, while setting permis‐
       sion modes and owner/group.  In the 4th form, create all components of the given DIRECTORY(ies).

       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

       --backup[=CONTROL]
	      make a backup of each existing destination file

       -b     like --backup but does not accept an argument

       -c     (ignored)

       -C, --compare
	      compare content of source and destination files, and if no change to content, ownership, and  permissions,  do
	      not modify the destination at all

       -d, --directory
	      treat all arguments as directory names; create all components of the specified directories

       -D     create  all  leading  components	of  DEST except the last, or all components of --target-directory, then copy
	      SOURCE to DEST

       --debug
	      explain how a file is copied.  Implies -v

       -g, --group=GROUP
	      set group ownership, instead of process' current group

       -m, --mode=MODE
	      set permission mode (as in chmod), instead of rwxr-xr-x

       -o, --owner=OWNER
	      set ownership (super-user only)

       -p, --preserve-timestamps
	      apply access/modification times of SOURCE files to corresponding destination files

       -s, --strip
	      strip symbol tables

       --strip-program=PROGRAM
	      program used to strip binaries

       -S, --suffix=SUFFIX
	      override the usual backup suffix

       -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY
	      copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY

       -T, --no-target-directory
	      treat DEST as a normal file

       -v, --verbose
	      print the name of each created file or directory

       --preserve-context
	      preserve SELinux security context

       -Z     set SELinux security context of destination file and each created directory to default type

       --context[=CTX]
	      like -Z, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK security context to CTX

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
	      output version information and exit

       The backup suffix is '~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.  The version control method	may  be	 se‐
       lected via the --backup option or through the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable.  Here are the values:

       none, off
	      never make backups (even if --backup is given)

       numbered, t
	      make numbered backups

       existing, nil
	      numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise

       simple, never
	      always make simple backups

AUTHOR
       Written by David MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS
       GNU coreutils online help: 
       Report any translation bugs to 

SEE ALSO
       cp(1)

       Full documentation 
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) install invocation'

       Packaged by Ubuntu (9.7-3ubuntu2)
       Copyright © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later .
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
       There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

GNU coreutils 9.7					January 2026						  INSTALL(1)