UNIX File Permissions
The following table lists and describes the permissions that you can
give to each class of user for a file or directory.
Table 1-2 File and Directory Permissions | | | |
|---|
r
| Read
| File
| Designated users can open and read the contents of a file.
|
|
|
| Directory
| Designated users can list files in the directory.
|
w
| Write
| File
| Designated users can modify the contents of the file or delete the file.
|
|
|
| Directory
| Designated users can add files or add links in the directory. They can
also remove files or remove links in the directory.
|
x
| Execute
| File
| Designated users can execute the file, if it is a program or shell script.
They also can run the program with one of the exec(2) system
calls.
|
|
|
| Directory
| Designated users can open files or execute files in the directory. They
also can make the directory and the directories beneath it current.
|
-
| Denied
| File and Directory
| Designated users cannot read, write, or execute the file.
|
|
These file permissions apply to regular files, and to special files
such as devices, sockets, and named pipes (FIFOs).
For a symbolic link, the permissions that apply are the permissions
of the file that the link points to.
You can protect the files in a directory and its subdirectories by setting
restrictive file permissions on that directory. Note, however, that the root role has access to all files and directories on the system.