---
tags: [Linux, permissions]
created: Friday, April 11, 2025
---

# File permissions in Linux

## View permissions

```bash
ls -rfl
```

## What the letters mean

```bash
drwxr-xr-x  2 thomas thomas  4096 Jan 21 18:00 dist
drwxr-xr-x  2 thomas thomas  4096 Dec 29 12:50 out
-rw-r--r--  1 thomas thomas  1108 Jan 21 17:42 README.md
```

The first column of the permissions output is known as the file's _mode_. The
sequence from left to right is as follows:

```
-       - - -                 - - -                 - - -
type    user permissions      group permissions     other permissions
```

<dl>
  <dt>type</dt>
  <dd>The file type. A dash just means an ordinary file. `d` means directory </dd>
 
  <dt>user permissions</dt>
  <dd>read, write or execute. A dash means 'nothing': the permissions for that slot in the set have not be assigned</dd>

  <dt>group and other</dt>
  <dd>group is obviously what anyone belonging to the current file's user group can do. Everyone else (outside of the user and the group) is covered by the other permissions, sometimes known as 'world' permissions</dd>
</dl>