---
name: "chcon"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "coreutils"
version: "9.7-3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/chcon"
---

# chcon(1)

change file security context

## NAME

chcon - change file security context

## SYNOPSIS

**chcon** \[*OPTION*\]... *CONTEXT FILE*...\
 **chcon** \[*OPTION*\]... \[*-u USER*\] \[*-r ROLE*\] \[*-l RANGE*\] \[*-t TYPE*\] *FILE*...\
 **chcon** \[*OPTION*\]... *--reference=RFILE FILE*...

## DESCRIPTION

Change the SELinux security context of each FILE to CONTEXT. With **--reference**, change the security context of each FILE to that of RFILE.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

- **--dereference**

  affect the referent of each symbolic link (this is the default), rather than the symbolic link itself

- **-h**, **--no-dereference**

  affect symbolic links instead of any referenced file

- **-u**, **--user**=*USER*

  set user USER in the target security context

- **-r**, **--role**=*ROLE*

  set role ROLE in the target security context

- **-t**, **--type**=*TYPE*

  set type TYPE in the target security context

- **-l**, **--range**=*RANGE*

  set range RANGE in the target security context

- **--no-preserve-root**

  do not treat '/' specially (the default)

- **--preserve-root**

  fail to operate recursively on '/'

- **--reference**=*RFILE*

  use RFILE's security context rather than specifying a CONTEXT value

- **-R**, **--recursive**

  operate on files and directories recursively

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  output a diagnostic for every file processed

The following options modify how a hierarchy is traversed when the **-R** option is also specified.  If more than one is specified, only the final one takes effect.

- **-H**

  if a command line argument is a symbolic link to a directory, traverse it

- **-L**

  traverse every symbolic link to a directory encountered

- **-P**

  do not traverse any symbolic links (default)

- **--help**

  display this help and exit

- **--version**

  output version information and exit

## AUTHOR

Written by Russell Coker and Jim Meyering.

## REPORTING BUGS

GNU coreutils online help: \<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/\>\
 Report any translation bugs to \<https://translationproject.org/team/\>

## SEE ALSO

Full documentation \<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/chcon\>\
 or available locally via: info '(coreutils) chcon invocation'

Packaged by Debian (9.7-3)\
 Copyright © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.\
 License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later \<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>.\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.\
 There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.