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(stow.info)Invoking Stow

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Invoking Stow
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   The syntax of the `stow' command is:

     stow [OPTIONS] PACKAGE ...

   The stow directory is assumed to be the current directory, and the
target directory is assumed to be the parent of the current directory
(so it is typical to execute `stow' from the directory
`/usr/local/stow').  Each PACKAGE is the name of a package in the stow
directory (e.g., `perl').  By default, they are installed into the
target directory (but they can be deleted instead using `-D').

   The options are:

`-n'
`--no'
     Do not perform any operations that modify the filesystem; merely
     show what would happen.  Since no actual operations are performed,
     `stow -n' could report conflicts when none would actually take
     place (Note: Conflicts); but it won't fail to report conflicts
     that _would_ take place.

`-c'
`--conflicts'
     Do not exit immediately when a conflict is encountered.  This
     option implies `-n', and is used to search for all conflicts that
     might arise from an actual Stow operation.  As with `-n', however,
     false conflicts might be reported (Note: Conflicts).

`-d DIR'
`--dir=DIR'
     Set the stow directory to DIR instead of the current directory.
     This also has the effect of making the default target directory be
     the parent of DIR.

`-t DIR'
`--target=DIR'
     Set the target directory to DIR instead of the parent of the stow
     directory.

`-v'
`--verbose[=N]'
     Send verbose output to standard error describing what Stow is
     doing.  Verbosity levels are 0, 1, 2, and 3; 0 is the default.
     Using `-v' or `--verbose' increases the verbosity by one; using
     `--verbose=N' sets it to N.

`-D'
`--delete'
     Delete packages from the target directory rather than installing
     them.

`-R'
`--restow'
     Restow packages (first unstow, then stow again).  This is useful
     for pruning obsolete symlinks from the target tree after updating
     the software in a package.

`-V'
`--version'
     Show Stow version number, and exit.

`-h'
`--help'
     Show Stow command syntax, and exit.