NAME

       installit - file/directory installation tool

SYNOPSIS

       installit  [ -o owner ] [ -g group ] [ -O owner ] [ -G group ] [ -m mode ] [ -b backup ] [
       -s ] [ -t ] source destination

DESCRIPTION

       Installit puts a copy of source into the specified destination.

       If source is a period, then destination is taken to be the name of a directory that should
       be  created.   Otherwise,  source is taken to name an existing file and destination may be
       either a file or directory; it is interpreted according to the same rules as cp(1).

       Installit uses no special privileges to copy files from one place to another.

OPTIONS

       -b     If destination names a pre-existing file, it will be removed  before  the  copy  is
              done.   To  make  a  backup  copy,  use  the ``-b'' flag; the existing file will be
              renamed to have the specified extension.  If source and destination  are  the  same
              string,  or  if  the two files are identical, then no copying is done, and only the
              ``-o'', ``-g'', ``-m'', and ``-s'' flags (see below) are processed.  In this  case,
              the modification time on the destination will be updated using touch(1).

       -n     Do not update the modification time on the destination.

       -o -g -m
              Once  the destination has been created, it is possible to set the owner, group, and
              mode that it should have.  This is done by using the  ``-o'',  ``-g'',  and  ``-m''
              flags, respectively.

       -O -G  The  ``-O'' and ``-G'' flags set the owner and group only if installit is being run
              by root, as determined by whoami(1).

       -s     To strip(1) an installed executable, use the ``-s'' flag.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

       Flags cannot be combined.

       The chown(8) command must exist in either the /etc or /usr/etc  directory  or  the  user's
       PATH.

       The whoami command must exist in the /usr/ucb directory or the user's PATH.

HISTORY

       Written  by  Rich $alz <rsalz@uunet.uu.net> for InterNetNews.  This is revision 1.9, dated
       1996/10/29.

                                                                                     INSTALLIT(1)