:
# usage: own [-r] file...
# use -r to operate on whole directories recursively (with caution)
# directories are skipped without the -r option.
# This routine is useless as root for two reasons:
#  1. Root can do chown directly to anyone
#  2. The cp -p will preserve the original owner, so ownership will not change.

rec="0"
rmflag="-f --"
cpflag="-p --"
if test $1 = "-r" ;
then print "recursive"
     rec="1"
     rmflag="-rf --"
     cpflag="-pR --"
     shift
fi

for f in $*
do
    tmp=$f.$$
    if test ! -d $f -o $rec = "1" ;
    then
	print "owning $f"
	#don't cp if mv failed, don't rm if cp failed
	mv -f -- $f $tmp && cp $cpflag $tmp $f && rm $rmflag $tmp
    fi
done