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INSTALL

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: February 2026
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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 download 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 permission 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.

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-backup'--backup[=CONTROL]X'tty: link': make a backup of each existing destination file
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-b'-bX'tty: link': like --backup but does not accept an argument
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-c'-cX'tty: link': (ignored)
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-C'-C, --compareX'tty: link': compare content of source and destination files, and if no change to content, ownership, and permissions, do not modify the destination at all
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-d'-d, --directoryX'tty: link': treat all arguments as directory names; create all components of the specified directories
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-D'-DX'tty: link': create all leading components of DEST except the last, or all components of --target-directory, then copy SOURCE to DEST
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-debug'--debugX'tty: link': explain how a file is copied. Implies -v
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-g'-g, --group=,GROUPX'tty: link'/: set group ownership, instead of process' current group
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-m'-m, --mode=,MODEX'tty: link'/: set permission mode (as in chmod), instead of rwxr-xr-x
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-o'-o, --owner=,OWNERX'tty: link'/: set ownership (super-user only)
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-p'-p, --preserve-timestampsX'tty: link': apply access/modification times of SOURCE files to corresponding destination files
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-s'-s, --stripX'tty: link': strip symbol tables
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-stri-program'--strip-program=PROGRAMX'tty: link': program used to strip binaries
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-S'-S, --suffix=,SUFFIXX'tty: link'/: override the usual backup suffix
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-t'-t, --target-directory=,DIRECTORYX'tty: link'/: copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-T'-T, --no-target-directoryX'tty: link': treat DEST as a normal file
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-v'-v, --verboseX'tty: link': print the name of each created file or directory
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-preserv-context'--preserve-contextX'tty: link': preserve SELinux security context
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-Z'-ZX'tty: link': set SELinux security context of destination file and each created directory, to default type
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#instal-context'--context[=CTX]X'tty: link': like -Z, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK security context to CTX
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/install#instal-help'--helpX'tty: link': display this help and exit
X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/install#instal-version'--versionX'tty: link': output version information and exit

The backup suffix is '~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX. The version control method may be selected 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

Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org

Report Gentoo bugs to: https://bugs.gentoo.org/
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
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