Understanding Permission Types: User, Group, Others

Permissions and Ownerships

Understanding Permission Types in Linux: User, Group, Others

Welcome to this Linux tutorial! In this session, we’ll break down how file permissions work in Linux.

As a beginner, this might seem confusing at first—but don’t worry. By the end of this video, you’ll clearly understand what those rwxr-xr-- things mean when you list files using ls -l.

🔍 What are Linux File Permissions?

In Linux, every file and directory has a set of permissions associated with it. These permissions determine who can do what with a file.

There are three types of users:

  • User – the owner of the file
  • Group – other users who belong to the same group
  • Others – everyone else on the system

👀 Viewing Permissions

Let’s list files with permissions using ls -l:

ls -l
-rwxr-xr--  1 alice devs  1024 Jul 1 10:00 script.sh

This line can be read like this:

  • - means it's a regular file (not a directory)
  • rwx → user (alice) has read, write, and execute permissions
  • r-x → group (devs) has read and execute permissions
  • r-- → others have read-only permission

🔤 Breaking Down the Permission String

The permission part rwxr-xr-- is split into three blocks:

  • First 3 (rwx): for the user
  • Next 3 (r-x): for the group
  • Last 3 (r--): for others

Each character means:

  • r: read – can view contents
  • w: write – can edit or delete
  • x: execute – can run the file (if it’s a script or program)

📁 Example with a Directory

ls -ld myfolder
drwxr-x---  2 bob staff 4096 Jul 1 12:00 myfolder

This tells us:

  • d: it's a directory
  • rwx: bob (the owner) can list, add, or remove files in the folder
  • r-x: group members can list and access files (but not create or delete)
  • ---: others have no access at all

🛠️ Quick Tips

  • To change file permissions: chmod
  • To change file owner: chown
  • To change file group: chgrp

✅ Summary

Permissions help protect your files in a multi-user system. Always set them based on who really needs access.

That’s it for this video! In the next session, we’ll explore how to change permissions using chmod.

👍 Like, Subscribe, and keep exploring Linux with confidence!


Comments

💬 Please keep your comment relevant and respectful. Avoid spamming, offensive language, or posting promotional/backlink content.
All comments are subject to moderation before being published.

Loading comments...

Permissions and Ownerships❯

  1. 1View File Permissions in Linux
  2. 2Change File Permissions with chmod in Linux
  3. 3How to Use Numeric Mode with chmod in Linux
  4. 4chmod Symbolic Mode in Linux
  5. 5How to Change File Ownership in Linux
  6. 6How to Change Group Ownership Using chgrp in Linux
  7. 7Understanding Linux File Permission Symbols (r, w, x)
  8. 8Linux File Permissions - User, Group, Others
  9. 9Understanding Special Permissions in Linux: SUID, SGID, and Sticky Bit
  10. 10How to Use ACLs in Linux - Set File Permissions
  11. 11Set ACL Permissions in Linux with setfacl
  12. 12How to View ACLs using getfacl in Linux
  13. 13Find Files by Permissions in Linux