---
name: "aechown"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "aegis"
version: "4.24.3-3"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/aechown"
---

# aechown(1)

set change owner

## NAME

aegis change owner - set change owner

## SYNOPSIS

**aegis** **-Change\_Owner** *change-number* *user-name* \[ *option*... \]\
 **aegis** **-Change\_Owner** **-Help**\
 **aegis** **-Change\_Owner** **-VERSion**

## DESCRIPTION

The *aegis -Change\_Owner* command is used to reassign a change from one developer to another.

A new development directory is created for the change in the new developers default area (see [*aedb*(1)](/aedb/1.md) for more information) and the change files are copied across. Derived files are ignored, so a new build will be required. The old development directory will be deleted.

This command must be performed by a project administrator, and the new assignee must be a developer.

Warning: capricious use of this command will alienate developers very rapidly.

### Notification

This command mimics many of the actions of the *aebdu*(1) and [*aedb*(1)](/aedb/1.md) command.  In particular, it invokes the *develop\_begin\_undo\_command* and *develop\_begin\_command* of the project *config* file.  See [*aepconf*(5)](/aepconf/5.md) for more information.

### Development Directory Location

**Please Note:** Aegis also consults the underlying file system, to determine its notion of maximum file size.  Where the file system's maximum file size is less than *maximum\_filename\_length*, the filesystem wins.  This can happen, for example, when you are using the Linux UMSDOS file system, or when you have an NFS mounted an ancient V7 filesystem.  Setting *maximum\_filename\_length* to 255 in these cases does not alter the fact that the underlying file systems limits are far smaller (12 and 14, respectively).

If your development directories (or your whole project) is on filesystems with filename limitations, or a portion of the heterogeneous builds take place in such an environment, it helps to tell Aegis what they are (using the project *config* file's fields) so that you don't run into the situation where the project builds on the more permissive environments, but fails with mysterious errors in the more limited environments.

If your development directories are routinely on a Linux UMSDOS filesystem, you would probably be better off setting *dos\_filename\_required = true*, and also changing the *development\_directory\_template* field. Heterogeneous development with various Windows environments may also require this.

## OPTIONS

The following options are understood:

- **-Change** *number*

  This option may be used to specify a particular change within a project. See [*aegis*(1)](/aegis/1.md) for a complete description of this option.

- **-DIRectory** *path*

  This option may be used to specify which directory is to be used. It is an error if the current user does not have appropriate permissions to create the directory path given. This must be an absolute path.

  Caution: If you are using an automounter do not use \`pwd\` to make an absolute path, it usually gives the wrong answer.

- **-Help**

  This option may be used to obtain more information about how to use the *aegis* program.

- **-Interactive**

  Specify that aegis should ask the user for confirmation before deleting each file. Answer the question *yes* to delete the file, or *no* to keep the file. You can also answer *all* to delete the file and all that follow, or *none* to keep the file and all that follow.

  Defaults to the user's *delete\_file\_preference* if not specified, see [*aeuconf*(5)](/aeuconf/5.md) for more information.

  If aegis is running in the background, the question will not be asked, and the files will be deleted.

- **-Keep**

  This option may be used to retain files and/or directories usually deleted or replaced by the command. Defaults to the user's *delete\_file\_preference* if not specified, see [*aeuconf*(5)](/aeuconf/5.md) for more information.

- **-No\_Keep**

  This option may be used to ensure that the files and/or directories are deleted or replaced by the command. Defaults to the user's *delete\_file\_preference* if not specified, see [*aeuconf*(5)](/aeuconf/5.md) for more information.

- **-List**

  This option may be used to obtain a list of suitable subjects for this command. The list may be more general than expected.

- **-Project** *name*

  This option may be used to select the project of interest. When no **-Project** option is specified, the *AEGIS\_PROJECT* environment variable is consulted. If that does not exist, the user's *$HOME/.aegisrc* file is examined for a default project field (see [*aeuconf*(5)](/aeuconf/5.md) for more information). If that does not exist, when the user is only working on changes within a single project, the project name defaults to that project. Otherwise, it is an error.

- **-REAson** *text*

  This option may be used to attach a comment to the change history generated by this command.  You will need to use quotes to insulate the spaces from the shell.

- **-TERse**

  This option may be used to cause listings to produce the bare minimum of information. It is usually useful for shell scripts.

- **-User** *name*

  This option is used to specify the user who is to develop the change.

- **-Verbose**

  This option may be used to cause aegis to produce more output. By default aegis only produces output on errors. When used with the **-List** option this option causes column headings to be added.

- **-Wait**

  This option may be used to require Aegis commands to wait for access locks, if they cannot be obtained immediately. Defaults to the user's *lock\_wait\_preference* if not specified, see [*aeuconf*(5)](/aeuconf/5.md) for more information.

- **-No\_Wait**

  This option may be used to require Aegis commands to emit a fatal error if access locks cannot be obtained immediately. Defaults to the user's *lock\_wait\_preference* if not specified, see [*aeuconf*(5)](/aeuconf/5.md) for more information.

See also [*aegis*(1)](/aegis/1.md) for options common to all aegis commands.

All options may be abbreviated; the abbreviation is documented as the upper case letters, all lower case letters and underscores (\_) are optional. You must use consecutive sequences of optional letters.

All options are case insensitive, you may type them in upper case or lower case or a combination of both, case is not important.

For example: the arguments "-project, "-PROJ" and "-p" are all interpreted to mean the **-Project** option. The argument "-prj" will not be understood, because consecutive optional characters were not supplied.

Options and other command line arguments may be mixed arbitrarily on the command line, after the function selectors.\

The GNU long option names are understood. Since all option names for *aegis* are long, this means ignoring the extra leading '-'. The "**--***option***=***value*" convention is also understood.\

## RECOMMENDED ALIAS

The recommended alias for this command is

```
csh%	alias aechown 'aegis -chown \!* -v'
sh$	aechown(){aegis -chown "$@" -v}
```

## ERRORS

It is an error if the user issuing the command is not a project administrator.\
 It is an error if the change is not in the *being developed* state.\
 It is an error if the user given is not a developer.

## EXIT STATUS

The *aegis* command will exit with a status of 1 on any error. The *aegis* command will only exit with a status of 0 if there are no errors.

## ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

See [*aegis*(1)](/aegis/1.md) for a list of environment variables which may affect this command. See [*aepconf*(5)](/aepconf/5.md) for the project configuration file's *project\_specific* field for how to set environment variables for all commands executed by Aegis.\

## COPYRIGHT

aegis version 4.24.3.D001\
 Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Peter Miller

The aegis program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details use the '*aegis -VERSion License*' command. This is free software and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions; for details use the '*aegis -VERSion License*' command.\

## AUTHOR

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peter Miller | E-Mail: | millerp@canb.auug.org.au |
| `/\/\*` | WWW: | http://www.canb.auug.org.au/~millerp/ |