chmod 744
chmod 744 is rwxr--r--.
What 744 grants
| Who | Digit | Permissions | Adds up as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | 7 | read, write, execute | 4 + 2 + 1 = 7 |
| Group | 4 | read | 4 = 4 |
| Others | 4 | read | 4 = 4 |
When 744 is the right answer
Owner can do everything, everyone else can read. Rarely what you want on a directory, because read without execute lets others see the names but reach none of the contents.
The command
chmod 744 filename
chmod -R 744 directory/Because the owner has the execute bit, this works on a directory as well as a file — on a directory, execute is what grants the right to enter it and reach the entries inside.
How it is written elsewhere
| Octal | 744 |
| Symbolic | rwxr--r-- |
As a file in ls -l | -rwxr--r-- |
As a directory in ls -l | drwxr--r-- |
| Binary | 111 100 100 |
| World-writable | No |
Frequently asked questions
What does chmod 744 mean?
It sets owner to read, write, execute, group to read, others to read. In symbolic notation that is rwxr--r--.
How do I apply 744?
Run chmod 744 filename. Add -R to apply it to a directory and everything inside, though be careful: a recursive numeric chmod marks every file the same way, which is rarely correct for a mixed tree of files and directories.
Is 744 safe?
It grants no write access outside the owner, so it is a reasonable setting as long as the owner is the account you intend.
What is 744 in symbolic notation?
rwxr--r--. Written as ls -l shows it, with a leading file-type character, an ordinary file would appear as -rwxr--r-- and a directory as drwxr--r--.