DESCRIPTION
install
is a command most commonly used in ``makefiles''
(see
make(1))
to install a
file
(updated target file) in a specific place within a file system.
Each
file
is installed by copying it into the appropriate directory, thereby retaining the
mode and owner of the original command.
The program prints messages telling the user exactly what files it is
replacing or creating and where they are going.
install
is useful for installing new commands,
or new versions of existing commands,
in the standard directories (i.e.
/usr/bin,
/usr/sbin,
etc.).
If no options or directories
(dirx...)
are given,
install
searches a set of default directories
(/usr/bin,
/usr/sbin,
/sbin,
and
/usr/lbin,
in that order) for a file with the same name as
file.
When the first occurrence is found,
install
issues a message saying that it is overwriting that file with
file
(the new version), and proceeds to do so.
If the file is not found,
the program states this and exits without further action.
If one or more directories
(dirx
...)
are specified after
file,
those directories are searched
before the directories specified in the default list.
Options
Options are interpreted as follows:
- -c dira
Installs a new command
(file)
in the directory specified by
dira,
only if it is not found.
If it is found,
install
issues a message saying that the file already exists,
and exits without overwriting it.
Can be used alone or with the
-s
option.
- -f dirb
Forces
file
to be installed in given directory, whether or not one already exists.
If the file being installed does not already exist,
the mode and owner of the new file will be set to
755
and
bin,
respectively.
If the file already exists,
the mode and owner will be that of the already existing file.
Can be used alone or with the
-o
or
-s
options.
- -i
Ignores default directory list,
searching only through the given directories
(dirx
...).
Can be used alone or with any other options other than
-c
and
-f.
- -n dirc
If
file
is not found in any of the searched directories,
it is put in the directory specified in
dirc.
The mode and owner of the new file will be set to
755
and
bin,
respectively.
Can be used alone or with any other options other than
-c
and
-f.
- -o
If
file
is found, this option saves the ``found'' file by copying it to
OLDfile
in the directory in which it was found.
This option is useful when installing a normally busy text file such as
/usr/bin/sh
or
/usr/sbin/getty,
where the existing file cannot be removed.
Can be used alone or with any other options other than
-c.
- -g group
Causes
file
to be owned by group
group.
This option is available only to users who have
appropriate privileges.
Can be used alone or with any other option.
- -u user
Causes
file
to be owned by user
user.
This option is available only to users who have
appropriate privileges.
Can be used alone or with any other option.
- -s
Suppresses printing of messages other than error messages.
Can be used alone or with any other options.
When no directories are specified
(dirx
...), or when
file
cannot be placed in one of the directories specified,
install
checks for the existence of the file
/etc/syslist.
If
/etc/syslist
exists, it is used to determine the final destination of
file.
If
/etc/syslist
does not exist,
the default directory list is further scanned to determine where
file
is to be located.
The file
/etc/syslist
contains a list of absolute pathnames, one per line.
The pathname is the "official" destination (for example
/usr/bin/echo)
of the file as it appears on a file system.
The file
/etc/syslist
serves as a master list for system command destinations.
If there is no entry for
file
in the file
/etc/syslist
the default directory list is further scanned to determine where
file
is to be located.
Cross Generation
The environment variable
ROOT
is used to locate the locations file (in the form
$ROOT/etc/syslist).
This is necessary in cases where cross generation
is being done on a production system.
Furthermore, each pathname in
$ROOT/etc/syslist
is appended to
$ROOT
(for example,
$ROOT/usr/bin/echo),
and used as the destination for
file.
Also, the default directories are also appended to
$ROOT
so that the default directories are actually
$ROOT/usr/bin,
$ROOT/usr/sbin,
$ROOT/sbin,
and
$ROOT/usr/lbin.
The file
/etc/syslist
($ROOT/etc/syslist)
does not exist on a distribution tape;
it is created and used by local sites.
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