---
name: "extattrctl"
section: "8"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/extattrctl"
---

# extattrctl(8)

manage UFS1 extended attributes

## NAME

**extattrctl** – manage UFS1 extended attributes

## SYNOPSIS

**extattrctl** **start** *path*

**extattrctl** **stop** *path*

**extattrctl** **initattr** \[**-f**\] \[**-p** *path*\] *attrsize* *attrfile*

**extattrctl** **showattr** *attrfile*

**extattrctl** **enable** *path* *attrnamespace* *attrname* *attrfile*

**extattrctl** **disable** *path* *attrnamespace* *attrname*

## DESCRIPTION

The **extattrctl** utility is the management utility for extended attributes over the UFS1 file system. It allows the starting and stopping of extended attributes on a file system, as well as initialization of attribute backing files, and enabling and disabling of specific extended attributes on a file system.

The first argument on the command line indicates the operation to be performed. Operation must be one of the following:

- **start** *path*

  Start extended attribute support on the file system named using *path*. The file system must be an UFS1 file system, and the UFS\_EXTATTR kernel option must have been enabled.

- **stop** *path*

  Stop extended attribute support on the file system named using *path*. Extended attribute support must previously have been started.

-

  **initattr** \[**-f**\] \[**-p** *path*\] *attrsize* *attrfile* Create and initialize a file to use as an attribute backing file. You must specify a maximum per-inode size for the attribute in bytes in *attrsize*, as well as the file where the attribute will be stored, using *attrfile*.

  The **-f** argument may be used to indicate that it is alright to overwrite an existing attribute backing file; otherwise, if the target file exists, an error will be returned.

  The **-p** *path* argument may be used to preallocate space for all attributes rather than relying on sparse files to conserve space. This has the advantage of guaranteeing that space will be available for attributes when they are written, preventing low disk space conditions from denying attribute service.

  This file should not exist before running **initattr**.

- **showattr** *attrfile*

  Show the attribute header values in the attribute file named by *attrfile*.

- **enable** *path* *attrnamespace* *attrname* *attrfile*

  Enable an attribute named *attrname* in the namespace *attrnamespace* on the file system identified using *path*, and backed by initialized attribute file *attrfile*. Available namespaces are "user" and "system". The backing file must have been initialized using **initattr** before its first use. Attributes must have been started on the file system prior to the enabling of any attributes.

- **disable** *path* *attrnamespace* *attrname*

  Disable the attributed named *attrname* in namespace *attrnamespace* on the file system identified by *path*. Available namespaces are "user" and "system". The file system must have attributes started on it, and the attribute most have been enabled using **enable**.

## EXAMPLES

```
extattrctl start /
```

Start extended attributes on the root file system.

```
extattrctl initattr 17 /.attribute/system/md5
```

Create an attribute backing file in /.attribute/system/md5, and set the maximum size of each attribute to 17 bytes, with a sparse file used for storing the attributes.

```
extattrctl enable / system md5 /.attribute/system/md5
```

Enable an attribute named md5 on the root file system, backed from the file /.attribute/system/md5.

```
extattrctl disable / md5
```

Disable the attribute named md5 on the root file system.

```
extattrctl stop /
```

Stop extended attributes on the root file system.

## SEE ALSO

[ffs(4)](/ffs/4.md), [getextattr(8)](/getextattr/8.md), [setextattr(8)](/setextattr/8.md), [extattr(9)](/extattr/9.md)

## HISTORY

Extended attribute support was developed as part of the TrustedBSD Project, and introduced in FreeBSD 5.0. It was developed to support security extensions requiring additional labels to be associated with each file or directory.

## AUTHORS

Robert N M Watson