SETCAP(8)

NAME
setcap - set file capabilities

SYNOPSIS
setcap [-q] [-n <rootuid>] [-v] {capabilities|-|-r} filename [ ... capabilitiesN 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 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.

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), cap_text_formats(7), capabilities(7), user_namespaces(7), captree(8), getcap(8) and getpcaps(8).