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 are specified in the form described in cap_from_text(3).

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

                                                   2020-08-29                                          SETCAP(8)