10.2 File System Permissions
10.2.1 Displaying file system permissions

Permissions control who can do what to files and directories in the file system. Directory and file permissions can be determined using the ls (list) command with the -l (long) option. The ls -l command will display a long listing of the contents of a directory. If the -a (all) option is included, all files, including hidden files (those beginning with a dot) will be displayed. As previously discussed, the long listing displays a separate line of output, which includes eight pieces of information, for each file or directory. The permissions portion of the ls -l output is the focus of this chapter. Figure is a brief review of the components of the ls -l command output and Figure shows the location of each component.