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If a User A owns file.txt, can User A change the ownership of the file to User B without root access? When i run a chown B file.txt as user A, I get a Operation not permitted error. It seems to me that since User A owns the file, they ought to be able to change the ownership, but I don't see a way to do it. Thanks for the help!

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You could put incriminating data in a file and change its ownership to frame someone :) I guess that's one argument against allowing what you suggest. – roadmr Jan 16 '12 at 16:40

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If the User A owns file.txt, he cannot change the ownership of the file.txt without root access/sudo permission. This is a feature and not a bug. And one of the many reasons why the elders chose to put this feature in, has been explained in a comment to your question by roadmr

Bottom-line: You can change the permissions of the file using chmod if you are the owner of that file without root/sudo permissions but you cannot change the ownership, either user or group (using either chown or chgrp ), of a file even though you are the owner of the file without root/sudo permissions. This is a feature and not a bug.

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