# Extended Attributes

## chattr

chattr - change (extended) file attributes on a Linux file system

### Man Page

{% embed url="<https://linux.die.net/man/1/chattr>" %}

### Syntax

`chattr [ -RVf ] [ -v version ] [ mode ] files...`

### Description

The format of a symbolic mode is +-=\[acdeijstuADST].

The operator '+' causes the selected attributes to be added to the existing attributes of the files; '-' causes them to be removed; and '=' causes them to be the only attributes that the files have.

The letters 'acdeijstuADST' select the new attributes for the files:

append only (a), compressed (c), no dump (d), extent format (e), immutable (i), data journalling (j), secure deletion (s), no tail-merging (t), undeletable (u), no atime updates (A), synchronous directory updates (D), synchronous updates (S), and top of directory hierarchy (T).

The following attributes are read-only, and may be listed by lsattr(1) but not modified by chattr:

huge file (h), compression error (E), indexed directory (I), compression raw access (X), and compressed dirty file (Z).

## lsattr

lsattr - list (extended) file attributes on a Linux second extended file system

### Man Page

{% embed url="<https://linux.die.net/man/1/lsattr>" %}

### Syntax

`lsattr [ -RVadv ] [ files...]`

### Options

| Option | Description                                                            |
| ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| -R     | Recursively list attributes of directories and their contents.         |
| -V     | Display the program version.                                           |
| -a     | List all files in directories, including files that start with '.'.    |
| -d     | List directories like other files, rather than listing their contents. |
| -v     | List the file's version/generation number.                             |

## removexattr

Remove extended attributes.&#x20;

{% embed url="<https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/removexattr.2.html>" %}


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