NAME

     installit - file/directory installation tool

SYNOPSIS

     installit [ -o owner ] [ -g group ] [ -O owner ] [ -G  group
     ] [ -m mode ] [ -b backup ] [ -s ] [ -t ] source destination

DESCRIPTION

     Installit puts a copy of source into the specified  destina-
     tion.

     If source is a period, then destination is taken to  be  the
     name  of  a  directory  that  should be created.  Otherwise,
     source is taken to name an existing file and destination may
     be  either  a file or directory; it is interpreted according
     to the same rules as cp(1).

     Installit uses no special privileges to copy files from  one
     place to another.

OPTIONS

     -b   If destination names a pre-existing file,  it  will  be
          removed  before  the  copy  is  done.  To make a backup
          copy, use the ``-b'' flag; the existing  file  will  be
          renamed to have the specified extension.  If source and
          destination are the same string, or if  the  two  files
          are  identical,  then  no copying is done, and only the
          ``-o'', ``-g'', ``-m'', and ``-s''  flags  (see  below)
          are  processed.  In this case, the modification time on
          the destination will be updated using touch(1).

     -n   Do not update the modification time on the destination.

     -o -g -m
          Once the destination has been created, it  is  possible
          to  set the owner, group, and mode that it should have.
          This is done by using the ``-o'',  ``-g'',  and  ``-m''
          flags, respectively.

     -O -G
          The ``-O'' and ``-G'' flags set  the  owner  and  group
          only  if  installit is being run by root, as determined
          by whoami(1).

     -s   To strip(1) an installed  executable,  use  the  ``-s''
          flag.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

     Flags cannot be combined.

     The chown(8) command  must  exist  in  either  the  /etc  or
     /usr/etc directory or the user's PATH.
     The whoami command must exist in the /usr/ucb  directory  or
     the user's PATH.

HISTORY

     Written by Rich $alz <rsalz@uunet.uu.net> for  InterNetNews.
     This is revision 1.9, dated 1996/10/29.