chgrp Linux Command Guide

The chgrp command in Linux is used to change the group ownership of files and directories. It allows users to assign a new group to a specified file or directory. By utilizing the chgrp command, you can easily modify the group ownership of multiple files at once, streamlining group management tasks. This command is especially useful in a shared working environment where users may need to collaborate on files within the same group.

chgrp Syntax:

chgrp [options] group file

Options:

Option	Description
-c	Report only when a change is made
-f	Silence most error messages
-h	Change the group of symbolic links only (default behavior)
-R	Recursively change group of directories and their contents
—reference=reference_file	Set group to that of reference_file
—dereference	Affect symlinks instead of references
—no-dereference	Affect references instead of symlinks
—preserve-root	Fail to operate recursively on ’/‘

Parameters:

Parameter	Description
group	The group to which to change ownership to
file	The file or directory to change the group ownership of

chgrp Command Samples:

Change Group Ownership of a File

chgrp staff file.txt

Changes the group ownership of the file “file.txt” to the group “staff”.

Change Group Ownership Recursively

chgrp -R admin documents/

Changes the group ownership of all files and subdirectories in the “documents” directory to the group “admin” recursively.

Display Verbose Output

chgrp -v users file.txt

Displays verbose output when changing the group ownership of the file “file.txt” to the group “users”.

Preserve File Metadata

chgrp --preserve-root wheel /

Changes the group ownership of the root directory (”/”) to the group “wheel” while preserving the root directory permissions.

Change Group Ownership for a Symbolic Link

chgrp games game_link

Changes the group ownership of a symbolic link named “game_link” to the group “games”.

Change Group Ownership Using Numeric Group ID

chgrp 1001 data.csv

Changes the group ownership of the file “data.csv” to the group ID “1001”.

Change Group Ownership using Symbolic Reference

chgrp :finance file.txt

Changes the group ownership of the file “file.txt” to the group “finance” using the symbolic reference.

chgrp FAQ:

How do I use chgrp in Linux?

To use the chgrp command in Linux, execute the following command:

chgrp newgroup file.txt

How do I change the group ownership recursively with chgrp?

To change the group ownership recursively for all files and directories within a specified directory, use the recursive flag (-R) with chgrp:

chgrp -R newgroup directory

How can I specify a specific group by GID with chgrp?

To change the group ownership of a file to a specific group identified by its Group ID (GID), use the numeric group ID with the chgrp command:

chgrp :1000 file.txt

How do I preserve the original file’s group with chgrp?

To avoid changing the group ownership of a file while modifying its permissions, use the —reference option with chgrp to copy the group from a reference file:

chgrp --reference=referencefile file.txt

How can I display verbose output while using chgrp in Linux?

To display detailed information about the group changes being made by the chgrp command, use the verbose flag (-v) along with the command:

chgrp -v newgroup file.txt

How do I change the group ownership without following symbolic links with chgrp?

To change the group ownership of a symbolic link itself without following the link to the target file, use the —no-dereference option with chgrp:

chgrp --no-dereference newgroup symlink

Applications of the chgrp command

Change the group ownership of a file or directory
Change the group ownership of multiple files or directories
Recursively change the group ownership of a directory and its contents