chgrp Command
Beginner Permissions & Ownership man(1)Change group ownership of files
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📅 Updated: Mar 15, 2026
SYNTAX
chgrp [OPTION]... GROUP FILE...
What Does chgrp Do?
chgrp changes the group ownership of files and directories. It is equivalent to the group-only part of chown (:group syntax), but regular users can use chgrp to change group to any group they belong to.
chgrp is commonly used for shared project directories where multiple users need access through group membership. Combined with setgid (chmod g+s), it ensures new files inherit the correct group.
Regular users can change the group to groups they are members of. Changing to other groups requires root.
chgrp is commonly used for shared project directories where multiple users need access through group membership. Combined with setgid (chmod g+s), it ensures new files inherit the correct group.
Regular users can change the group to groups they are members of. Changing to other groups requires root.
Options & Flags
| Option | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -R | Recursive | chgrp -R developers project/ |
| -v | Verbose | chgrp -v www-data file.php |
| --reference | Copy group from another file | chgrp --reference=template.php new.php |
| -f | Suppress error messages | chgrp -f developers file.txt |
Practical Examples
#1 Change group
Changes the group of the project directory.
$ chgrp developers project/#2 Recursive group change
Changes group for all files in web directory.
$ sudo chgrp -R www-data /var/www/html/#3 Shared directory setup
Sets up a shared directory: group ownership and setgid for new files.
$ sudo chgrp -R devteam /shared/ && sudo chmod -R g+rws /shared/#4 Copy group
Copies the group ownership from one file to another.
$ chgrp --reference=index.php upload.php#5 Verbose output
Shows each file as its group is changed.
$ chgrp -Rv developers src/
Output:
changed group of 'src/main.py' to developers
Tips & Best Practices
Regular users can use chgrp: Unlike chown, regular users can chgrp to any group they belong to (check with groups command).
setgid for shared directories: After chgrp, set setgid: chmod g+s dir/. New files automatically inherit the directory group.
chown does both: chown :groupname file does the same thing. chgrp is mainly useful when non-root users need to change groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change the group of a file?
chgrp groupname file. For recursive: chgrp -R groupname directory/
Can I use chgrp without sudo?
Yes — if you belong to the target group. Check your groups with the groups command.
How do I set up a shared directory?
chgrp -R team /shared/ && chmod -R g+rws /shared/. The setgid ensures new files inherit the team group.
Related Commands
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