man > setcap(8)

SETCAP(8)                              System Manager's Manual                             SETCAP(8)

NAME
       setcap - set file capabilities

SYNOPSIS
       setcap [-q] [-n <rootuid>] [-v] {capabilities|-|-r} filename [ ... capabilitiesN fileN ]

DESCRIPTION
       In the absence of the -v (verify) option setcap sets the capabilities of each specified file‐
       name  to  the  capabilities specified.  The optional -n <rootuid> argument can be used to set
       the file capability for use only in a user namespace with this root user ID owner. The -v op‐
       tion is used to verify that the specified capabilities  are  currently  associated  with  the
       file. If -v and -n are supplied, the -n <rootuid> argument is also verified.

       The capabilities are specified in the form described in cap_from_text(3).

       The  special  capability string, '-', can be used to indicate that capabilities are read from
       the standard input. In such cases, the capability set is terminated with a blank line.

       The special capability string, '-r', is used to remove a capability set from  a  file.  Note,
       setting  an  empty capability set is not the same as removing it. An empty set can be used to
       guarantee a file is not executed with privilege in spite of the fact that the prevailing  am‐
       bient+inheritable sets would otherwise bestow capabilities on executed binaries.

       The -q flag is used to make the program less verbose in its output.

EXIT CODE
       The  setcap  program will exit with a 0 exit code if successful. On failure, the exit code is
       1.

REPORTING BUGS
       Please report bugs via:

       https://bugzilla.kernel.org/buglist.cgi?component=libcap&list_id=1090757

SEE ALSO
       capsh(1), cap_from_text(3), cap_get_file(3), capabilities(7), user_namespaces(7), captree(8),
       getcap(8) and getpcaps(8).

                                             2020-08-29                                    SETCAP(8)