---
layout: page
category_title: Intermediate commands
category-page: intermediate
author: Marco Farace
title: install
---

<h2>Use: install binaries, move or copy files</h2>

<p>The file(s) are copied to the target file or directory. If the destination
   is a directory, then the file is copied into directory with its original
   filename.  If the target file already exists, it is either renamed to
   file.old if the -b option is given or overwritten if permissions allow.
   An alternate backup suffix may be specified via the -B option's argument.
   Basic syntax is in the form <code>install [OPTION]... SOURCE DEST</code>
   <br><code>$install -D /source/folder/*.xyz /destination/folder</code><br>
   this line of code copies all .xyz file from /source/folder to
   /destination/folder</p>

<p>

Here are just some of the most useful options for this command:
  <ul>
    <li>-b<br></li>
    Back up any existing files before overwriting them by renaming
    them to file.old.  See -B for specifying a different backup suffix.
    (-B suffix Use suffix as the backup suffix if -b is given)

    <li>-C<br></li>
    Copy the file.  If the target file already exists and the files
    are the same, then don't change the modification time of the target

    <li>-d<br></li>
    Create directories.  Missing parent directories are created as
    required.

    <li>-f<br></li>
    Specify the target's file flags; see chflags(1) for a list of
    possible flags and their meanings.

    <li>-g<br></li>
    Specify a group.  A numeric GID is allowed.

    <li>-m<br></li>
    Specify an alternate mode.  The default mode is set to rwxr-xr-x
    (0755). The specified mode may be either an octal or symbolic
    value;

    <li>-o<br></li>
    Specify an owner.  A numeric UID is allowed.

</p>