Permissions
All of the files on a Linux system have permissions that allow or prevent others from viewing, modifying or executing. The super user "root" has the ability to access any file on the system. Each file has access restrictions, user restrictions and have an owner/group association.
Every file is secured by the following three sets of permissions, in order of importance:
-
user
applies to the user who is the owner of the file
-
group
applies to the group that is associated with the file
-
other
applies to all other users
Inside each of the three sets of permissions are the actual permissons. The permissions, along with the way they apply differently to files and directories, are outlined below:
-
read
files can be displayed/opened
directory contents can be displayed
-
write
files can be edited or deleted
directory contents can be modified
-
execute
executable files can be run as a program
directories can be entered
To view and edit the permissions on files and directories, open the Applications->Accessories->Home Folder and right-click on a file or directory. Then select Properties. The permissions exist under the Permissions tab and allow for the editing of all permission levels, if you are the owner of the file.
To learn more about file permissions in Linux, read the file permissions page in the Ubuntu Wiki.
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