OS Manuals

/usr/bin/chcon

Cross-platform Rust rewrite of the GNU coreutils.

From uutils 0.12.0-r6 (os), captured 2026-11-07 by running chcon --help (exit 0). permalink

Change the SELinux security context of each FILE to CONTEXT.
With --reference, change the security context of each FILE to that of RFILE.

Usage: chcon [OPTION]... CONTEXT FILE...
       chcon [OPTION]... [-u USER] [-r ROLE] [-l RANGE] [-t TYPE] FILE...
       chcon [OPTION]... --reference=RFILE FILE...

Arguments:
  [FILE]...

Options:
      --dereference        Affect the referent of each symbolic link (this is the default), rather
                           than the symbolic link itself.
  -h, --no-dereference     Affect symbolic links instead of any referenced file.
      --help               help
      --preserve-root      Fail to operate recursively on '/'.
      --no-preserve-root   Do not treat '/' specially (the default).
      --reference <RFILE>  Use security context of RFILE, rather than specifying a CONTEXT value.
  -u, --user <USER>        Set user USER in the target security context.
  -r, --role <ROLE>        Set role ROLE in the target security context.
  -t, --type <TYPE>        Set type TYPE in the target security context.
  -l, --range <RANGE>      Set range RANGE in the target security context.
  -R, --recursive          Operate on files and directories recursively.
  -H                       If a command line argument is a symbolic link to a directory, traverse
                           it. Only valid when -R is specified.
  -L                       Traverse every symbolic link to a directory encountered. Only valid when
                           -R is specified.
  -P                       Do not traverse any symbolic links (default). Only valid when -R is
                           specified.
  -v, --verbose            Output a diagnostic for every file processed.
  -V, --version            Print version
Options (16)
OptionDescriptionSource
--dereferenceAffect the referent of each symbolic link (this is the default), rather than the symbolic link itself.help + man
-h, --no-dereferenceAffect symbolic links instead of any referenced file.help + man
--helphelphelp + man
--preserve-rootFail to operate recursively on '/'.help + man
--no-preserve-rootDo not treat '/' specially (the default).help + man
--reference RFILEUse security context of RFILE, rather than specifying a CONTEXT value.help + man
-u, --user USERSet user USER in the target security context.help + man
-r, --role ROLESet role ROLE in the target security context.help + man
-t, --type TYPESet type TYPE in the target security context.help + man
-l, --range RANGESet range RANGE in the target security context.help + man
-R, --recursiveOperate on files and directories recursively.help + man
-HIf a command line argument is a symbolic link to a directory, traverse it.help + man
-LTraverse every symbolic link to a directory encountered.help + man
-PDo not traverse any symbolic links (default).help + man
-v, --verboseOutput a diagnostic for every file processed.help + man
-V, --versionPrint versionhelp + man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.