# chcon(1) - man - phpman

> **TLDR:** Change SELinux security context of a file or files/directories.
>
- View security context of a file:
  `ls {{-lZ|-l --context}} {{path/to/file}}`
- Change the security context of a target file, using a reference file:
  `chcon --reference {{reference_file}} {{target_file}}`
- Change the full SELinux security context of a file:
  `chcon {{user}}:{{role}}:{{type}}:{{range/level}} {{filename}}`
- Change only the user part of SELinux security context:
  `chcon {{-u|--user}} {{user}} {{filename}}`
- Change only the role part of SELinux security context:
  `chcon {{-r|--role}} {{role}} {{filename}}`
- Change only the type part of SELinux security context:
  `chcon {{-t|--type}} {{type}} {{filename}}`
- Change only the range/level part of SELinux security context:
  `chcon {{-l|--range}} {{range/level}} {{filename}}`

*Source: tldr-pages*

---

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## 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  sym‐
              bolic link itself

### -h --no-dereference
              affect symbolic links instead of any referenced file

### -u --user
              set user USER in the target security context

### -r --role
              set role ROLE in the target security context

### -t --type
              set type TYPE in the target security context

### -l --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 speci‐
       fied.  If more than one is specified, only the final one takes effect.

### -H

### -L

### -P

       **--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/>>

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2020 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
       Full documentation <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/chcon>>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) chcon invocation'



GNU coreutils 8.32                          January 2026                                    [CHCON(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CHCON/1/markdown)