INSTALL(1) General Commands Manual INSTALL(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

install - Copy SOURCE to DEST or multiple SOURCE(s) to the existing DIRECTORY, while setting permission modes and owner/group

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**install** \[OPTION]... \[FILE]...

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Copy SOURCE to DEST or multiple SOURCE(s) to the existing DIRECTORY, while setting permission modes and owner/group

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

[**--backup**\[=*<CONTROL>*\]](#backup)

make a backup of each existing destination file

[**-b**](#b)

like --backup but does not accept an argument

[**-c**](#c)

ignored

[**-C**, **--compare**](#C)

compare each pair of source and destination files, and in some cases, do not modify the destination at all

[**-d**, **--directory**](#d)

treat all arguments as directory names. create all components of the specified directories

[**-D**](#D)

create all leading components of DEST except the last, then copy SOURCE to DEST

[**-g**, **--group** *<GROUP>*](#g)

set group ownership, instead of process's current group

[**-m**, **--mode** *<MODE>*](#m)

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

[**-o**, **--owner** *<OWNER>*](#o)

set ownership (super-user only)

[**-p**, **--preserve-timestamps**](#p)

apply access/modification times of SOURCE files to corresponding destination files

[**-s**, **--strip**](#s)

strip symbol tables

[**--strip-program** *<PROGRAM>*](#strip)

program used to strip binaries

[**-S**, **--suffix** *<SUFFIX>*](#S)

override the usual backup suffix

[**-t**, **--target-directory** *<DIRECTORY>*](#t)

move all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY

[**-T**, **--no-target-directory**](#T)

treat DEST as a normal file

[**-v**, **--verbose**](#v)

explain what is being done

[**-P**, **--preserve-context**](#P)

preserve security context

[**-Z**](#Z)

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

[**--context** \[*<CONTEXT>*\]](#context)

set security context of files and directories

[**-U**, **--unprivileged**](#U)

do not require elevated privileges to change the owner, the group, or the file flags of the destination

[**-h**, **--help**](#h)

Print help

[**-V**, **--version**](#V)

Print version

\[*files*]

# [VERSION](#VERSION)

v(uutils coreutils) 0.12.0

2026-10-16

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Document: install(1) from uutils 0.12.0-r4 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/uutils/coreutils