How to copy permissions from one file to another on Linux

I

need to copy or clone file ownership and permissions from another file on Linux. Is there a bash command line option to clone the user, group ownership and permissions on a file from another file on Linux operating system?

 

To set file owner and group use chown command. To change file mode, bits (permissions) use chmod command. Both commands accept an option to use another file as a reference is known as RFILE.

Syntax to clone permissions from another file or directory on Linux

The syntax is as follows use RFILE’s mode instead of MODE values:

chmod –reference=RRFILE FILE

chmod [options] –reference=RRFILE FILE

Examples: Copy file permission, but not files

Let us list both files:

ls -l install58.iso xenial-server-amd64.iso

 

Sample outputs:

-rw-rw-rw- 1 libvirt-qemu kvm 230862848 Aug 16  2015 install58.iso

-rw-r–r– 1 libvirt-qemu kvm 786432000 Mar 14 02:01 xenial-server-amd64.iso

To copy install58.iso file permission to xenial-server-amd64.iso, enter:

chmod –reference=install58.iso xenial-server-amd64.iso

 

Verify it:

ls -l install58.iso xenial-server-amd64.iso

 

Sample outputs:

-rw-rw-rw- 1 libvirt-qemu kvm 230862848 Aug 16  2015 install58.iso

-rw-rw-rw- 1 libvirt-qemu kvm 786432000 Mar 14 02:01 xenial-server-amd64.iso

You can specify multiple files too:

chmod –reference=file.txt dest1.txt dest2.txt dest3.conf

 

You can combine and use find and xargs as follows:

find /path/to/dest/ -type f -print0 | xargs -O -I {} chmod –reference=/path/to/rfile.txt {}

Syntax to clone ownership from another file or directory on Linux

The syntax is as follows to use RRFILE’s owner and group rather than specifying OWNER:GROUP values

chown –reference=RRFILE FILE

chown [options] –reference=RRFILE FILE

Examples: Copy file ownership, but not files

To copy install58.iso file user and group onwership to xenial-server-amd64.iso, enter:

chown –reference=install58.iso xenial-server-amd64.iso

ls -l

 

Sample outputs:

Fig.01: Linux clone or copy or replicate file permissions, using another file as reference