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Importants permisson linux commands

The document provides a detailed overview of file and directory permissions in Linux, including numeric representations and key commands such as chmod, chown, and chgrp. It explains permission types for users (owner, group, others), how to view and change permissions, and the significance of special permissions like setuid, setgid, and sticky bit. Examples illustrate how to apply these commands effectively for managing access control and security.

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Amrit Baruah
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7 views

Importants permisson linux commands

The document provides a detailed overview of file and directory permissions in Linux, including numeric representations and key commands such as chmod, chown, and chgrp. It explains permission types for users (owner, group, others), how to view and change permissions, and the significance of special permissions like setuid, setgid, and sticky bit. Examples illustrate how to apply these commands effectively for managing access control and security.

Uploaded by

Amrit Baruah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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In Linux, file and directory permissions are crucial for maintaining

security and proper access control. Below is a comprehensive


explanation of the key commands and keywords related to
permissions in Linux:

In Linux, file permissions are represented numerically for setting or


viewing purposes. Each permission is associated with a specific
number:
• Read (r): 4
• Write (w): 2
• Execute (x): 1
Numeric Representation
Permissions are expressed as a three-digit number, where each digit
is the sum of its component permissions:
• Owner (User): The first digit
• Group: The second digit
• Others: The third digit
Calculation Example:
• Read and Write: 4 (read) + 2 (write) = 6
• Read and Execute: 4 (read) + 1 (execute) = 5
• Write and Execute: 2 (write) + 1 (execute) = 3
• Read, Write, and Execute: 4 (read) + 2 (write) + 1 (execute) = 7
Example Usage
• chmod 755 filename:
o 7 (Owner: rwx)
o 5 (Group: r-x)
o 5 (Others: r-x)
• chmod 644 filename:
o 6 (Owner: rw-)
o 4 (Group: r--)
o 4 (Others: r--)
Understanding these numeric values helps in efficiently setting
permissions using the chmod command.

1. File Permissions Basics


r (Read): Allows reading the contents of a file or listing the contents
of a directory.
w (Write): Allows modifying a file or adding/removing files in a
directory.
x (Execute): Allows executing a file as a program or script, or entering
a directory.
2. Permission Types
Permissions can be set for three types of users:
User (Owner): The file or directory owner.
Group: Users who are part of the file’s group.
Others: All other users.
3. Viewing Permissions

ls -l: Lists files and directories with detailed permissions.

ls -l filename
Output Example:

-rwxr-xr-- 1 user group 12345 Sep 1 12:34 filename


-rwxr-xr--: Permissions (read, write, execute for owner; read, execute
for group; read for others)

1: Number of links
user: Owner
group: Group
12345: File size

Sep 1 12:34: Last modified date and time

filename: File name


4. Changing Permissions
chmod: Changes file or directory permissions.

Syntax:

chmod [options] mode file


Examples:
Numeric Mode:

chmod 755 filename


7 (Owner: rwx)
5 (Group: r-x)
5 (Others: r-x)

Symbolic Mode:

chmod u+x filename


u: User (owner)
+x: Add execute permission
chmod Options:

-R: Apply changes recursively to directories and their contents.

chmod -R 755 directory/

5. Changing Ownership
chown: Changes the owner and/or group of a file or directory.

Syntax:
chown [options] owner[:group] file
Examples:

Change Owner:

chown user filename


Change Owner and Group:
chown user:group filename
-R: Apply changes recursively.

chown -R user:group directory/


6. Changing Group Ownership
chgrp: Changes the group ownership of a file or directory.

Syntax:
chgrp [options] group file

Examples:
Change Group:

chgrp group filename


-R: Apply changes recursively.

chgrp -R group directory/


7. Setting Special Permissions
Setuid (s): When set on an executable file, the process runs with the
file’s owner permissions.

Example:

chmod u+s /usr/bin/program


Setgid (s): When set on a directory, files created within the directory
inherit the group of the directory, not the user’s primary group.

Example:
chmod g+s /path/to/directory
Sticky Bit (t): When set on a directory, only the file’s owner can delete
or rename the files within that directory.

Example:

chmod +t /path/to/directory
8. Examples and Use Cases
Add execute permission to a script:

chmod +x script.sh
Remove write permission from a file for the group:

chmod g-w file.txt


Change the owner of a directory and its contents:

chown -R newowner /path/to/directory


Set the setgid bit on a directory so that new files inherit the
directory’s group:

chmod g+s /shared/directory


Set the sticky bit on a directory to restrict file deletion:

chmod +t /tmp
9. Checking Effective Permissions
To check effective permissions on a file or directory:

namei -l path: Displays the permissions of each directory in the path.


Example:

namei -l /home/user/file.txt

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