Linux File Permissions 101
beginner Hands-on lab 20 min 3 tasks
Learn how Linux file permissions work — read/write/execute, owner/group/other, and how to read and change them with chmod and chown.
Linux File Permissions 101
Every file and directory on a Linux system carries a set of permissions that decide who can do what with it. In this Edge you'll learn to:
- Read the 10-character permission string from
ls -l - Understand the three permission classes: owner, group, and other
- Understand the three permission bits: read (r), write (w), and execute (x)
- Translate between symbolic (
rwxr-xr--) and octal (754) notation - Change permissions with
chmodand ownership withchown
By the end you'll be able to look at any ls -l line and know exactly who can read, write, or run it — and fix it when it's wrong.
Ready to start hacking?
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Updated 2026-06-04