---
name: "chgrp"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "coreutils"
version: "9.12-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/chgrp"
---

# chgrp(1)

change group ownership

## NAME

chgrp - change group ownership

## SYNOPSIS

**chgrp** \[*OPTION*\]... *GROUP FILE*...\
 **chgrp** \[*OPTION*\]... *--reference=RFILE FILE*...

## DESCRIPTION

Change the group of each FILE to GROUP. With **--reference**, change the group of each FILE to that of RFILE.

- **-c, --changes**

  like verbose but report only when a change is made

- **-f, --silent, --quiet**

  suppress most error messages

- **-v, --verbose**

  output a diagnostic for every file processed

- **--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; useful only on systems that can change the ownership of a symlink

- **--from=CURRENT\_OWNER:CURRENT\_GROUP**

  change the ownership of each file only if its current owner and/or group match those specified here. Either may be omitted, in which case a match is not required for the omitted attribute

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

  do not treat '/' specially (the default)

- **--preserve-root**

  fail to operate recursively on '/'

- **--reference=RFILE**

  use RFILE's ownership rather than specifying values. RFILE is always dereferenced if a symbolic link.

- **-R, --recursive**

  operate on files and directories recursively

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. **-P** is the default.

- **-H**

  if a command line argument is a symlink to a directory, traverse it

- **-L**

  traverse every symbolic link to a directory encountered

- **-P**

  do not traverse any symbolic links

- **--help**

  display this help and exit

- **--version**

  output version information and exit

## EXAMPLES

- chgrp staff /u

  Change the group of /u to "staff".

- chgrp -hR staff /u

  Change the group of /u and subfiles to "staff".

## AUTHOR

Written by David MacKenzie and Jim Meyering.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: \<bug-coreutils@gnu.org\>.\
 Report any translation bugs to: \<https://translationproject.org/team/\>.\
 GNU coreutils home page: \<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/\>\
 General help using GNU software: \<https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2026 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.

## SEE ALSO

[**chown**(1)](/chown/1.md), [**chown**(2)](/chown/2.md)

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