What do you mean by file permissions rw-rwx-wx?

Answer 1

There are 10 characters in a string for a Unix-style file permission.

The format is:

dooogggaaa (where d is a directory flag, oindicates the permissions for the file owner, g indicates the group the file belongs to, and a is for everyone else [all])

The permission values breakdown:

• d is only available on the first character, and if toggled, this means that the file is a directory (folder).
• - means no permission (or in the case of the first character, it means it's a file and not a directory).
• r grants read permissions.
• w grants write permissions.
• x grants execute (run) permissions, which is generally used on program files.

In your case, -rw-rwx-wx means:

• It's not a folder (the directory flag is not there)
• The file owner is allowed to read and write to the file
• The group is allowed full access (read, write, execute)
• Everyone else is only allowed write and execute permissions.

If you find it hard to memorize those, there's a different way to memorize it (as 3 digits).

Your file has a value of 673.

Like the previous representation of file permissions, the first digit represents the owner's permissions, the second digit represents the group permissions, and the last digit represents the everyone's permissions.

To get these numbers:

A "read" permission is assigned the number 4.

A "write" permission is assigned the number 2.

A "execute" permission is assigned the number 1.

If you add them together, you'll get a sum for the permissions.

For example, your 673:

• File owner: read + write = 4 + 2 = 6
• Group: read + write + execute = 4 + 2+ 1 = 7
• All: write + execute = 2 + 1 = 3

Answer 2

r means 'read' permission

w means 'write' permission

x means 'execute' permission

- means that the specific permission is NOT granted (if in 1st place refers to read, if in second to write and if in third to execute)

First three are owners permissions, next three groups permissions and last the other peoples permissions.

so for owner rw- means owner can read, write but not execute

then rwx means file's group members can all read write and execute

and finally -wx means others cannot read but can write and execute.

you will not find the specific sequence in real life (why others cannot read but can write?)