kdb-meta-set(1) -- Set the value of a metakey

kdb meta-set <key name> <metaname> [<metavalue>]

Where key name is the name of the key that the metakey is associated with, metaname is the name of the metakey the user would like to set the value of (or create), and metavalue is the value the user wishes to set the metakey to. If no metavalue is given, the metakey will be removed.

This command allows the user to set the value of an individual metakey. If a key does not already exist and the user tries setting a metakey associated with it, the key will be created with a null value. There is some special handling for the metadata atime, mtime and ctime. They will be converted to time_t.

For cascading keys, the namespace will default to spec, because that is the place where you usually want to set metadata.

• -H, --help: Show the man page.
• -V, --version: Print version info.
• -p, --profile <profile>: Use a different kdb profile.
• -C, --color <when>: Print never/auto(default)/always colored output.
• -v, --verbose: Explain what is happening. Prints additional information in case of errors/warnings.
• -d, --debug: Give debug information. Prints additional debug information in case of errors/warnings.
• -q, --quiet: Suppress non-error messages.

• /sw/elektra/kdb/#0/current/verbose: Same as -v: Explain what is happening.
• /sw/elektra/kdb/#0/current/quiet: Same as -q: Suppress default messages.
• /sw/elektra/kdb/#0/current/namespace: Specifies which default namespace should be used when setting a cascading name. By default the namespace is user, except kdb is used as root, then system is the default.

To set a metakey called description associated with the key user:/example/key to the value Hello World!:
kdb meta-set spec:/example/key description "Hello World!"

To create a new key spec:/example/newkey with a null value (if it did not exist before) and a metakey namespace/#0 associated with it to the value system:
kdb meta-set /example/newkey "namespace/#0" system

To create an override link for a /test key:

kdb set /overrides/test "example override"
sudo kdb meta-set spec:/test override/#0 /overrides/test

To remove it:

sudo kdb meta-set spec:/test override/#0

• How to get metadata: kdb-meta-get(1)
• elektra-metadata(7) for an explanation of the metadata concepts.
• elektra-key-names(7) for an explanation of key names.