Command referencechown
chown command (Linux / bash / sh / zsh)
What it does
Change the owning user and group of filesystem entries. When people search for the chown command linux ownership, they usually want chown's everyday flags, safe examples, and how it differs from related tools. Below you'll find syntax, options, and copyable examples for Bash/sh/zsh.
Change the owning user and group of filesystem entries.
Syntax
chown [OPTION]... [OWNER][:[GROUP]] FILE...
Common options
| Flag / option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -R | Change ownership recursively. |
| -h | Change a symbolic link rather than its target. |
| --from=OLD | Change only entries with matching current ownership. |
| --reference=FILE | Copy owner and group from a reference file. |
Practical examples
Change owner
sudo chown alice report.txt
Assigns the file to user alice.
Owner and group
sudo chown alice:developers app/
Changes both owner and group.
Fix a tree
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/app
Updates ownership throughout a web directory.
Common mistakes
- Running recursive chown from the wrong directory.
- Omitting the group when both owner and group need correction.
Related commands
FAQ
What does chown do in Linux?
Change the owning user and group of filesystem entries.
How do I use chown from the terminal?
Start with `chown [OPTION]... [OWNER][:[GROUP]] FILE...`, then choose only the options needed for the task.
What is a practical chown example?
Try `sudo chown alice report.txt` — Assigns the file to user alice.
Can I use chown in a shell script?
Yes. chown works in Bash, sh, and Zsh, but scripts should handle quoting, errors, and command output explicitly.
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