SETCAP(8) System Manager's Manual SETCAP(8)
NAME
setcap - set file capabilities
SYNOPSIS
setcap [-q] [-n <rootuid>] [-v] {capabilities|-|-r} filename [ ... capa-
bilitiesN fileN ]
DESCRIPTION
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 are specified in the form described in
cap_from_text(3).
The special capability string, '-', can be used to indicate that capa-
bilities 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 exe-
cuted with privilege in spite of the fact that the prevailing ambi-
ent+inheritable sets would otherwise bestow capabilities on executed bi-
naries.
The '-f', is used to force completion even when it is in some way con-
sidered an invalid operation. This can affect '-r' and setting file ca-
pabilities 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 fail-
ure, the exit code is 1.
REPORTING BUGS
Please report bugs via:
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/buglist.cgi?component=libcap&list_id=1090757
SEE ALSO
capsh(1), cap_from_text(3), cap_get_file(3), capabilities(7), user_name-
spaces(7), captree(8), getcap(8) and getpcaps(8).
2020-08-29 SETCAP(8)
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