setcap8
Set file capabilities
Usage
setcap [-q]
[-n
<rootuid>]
[-v]
{capabilities | - | -r}
filename
[capabilitiesN
fileN]
Overview
In the absence of the -v (verify) option setcap sets the capabilities of each specified filename to the capabilities specified. The optional -n <rootuid> argument can be used to set the file capability for use only in a user namespace with this root user ID owner. The -v option is used to verify that the specified capabilities are currently associated with the file. If -v and -n are supplied, the -n <rootuid> argument is also verified.
The capabilities Set are specified in the form described in cap_text_formats(7).
The special capability string, '-', can be used to indicate that capabilities are read from the standard input. In such cases, the capability set is terminated with a blank line.
The special capability string, '-r', is used to remove a capability set from a file. Note, setting an empty capability set is not the same as removing it. An empty set can be used to guarantee a file is not executed with privilege in spite of the fact that the prevailing ambient+inheritable sets would otherwise bestow capabilities on executed binaries.
The '-f', is used to force completion even when it is in some way considered an invalid operation. This can affect '-r' and setting file capabilities the kernel will not be able to make sense of.
The -q flag is used to make the program less verbose in its output.
Exit code
The setcap program will exit with a 0 exit code if successful. On failure, the exit code is 1.
Releases
12 releases since Debian 3.0 (Woody); the text changed 7 times.