chmod 754
chmod 754 is rwxr-xr--.
What 754 grants
| Who | Digit | Permissions | Adds up as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | 7 | read, write, execute | 4 + 2 + 1 = 7 |
| Group | 5 | read, execute | 4 + 1 = 5 |
| Others | 4 | read | 4 = 4 |
When 754 is the right answer
Owner full, group read and execute, others read only. An unusual combination — on a directory the read-without-execute for others is close to useless.
The command
chmod 754 filename
chmod -R 754 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 | 754 |
| Symbolic | rwxr-xr-- |
As a file in ls -l | -rwxr-xr-- |
As a directory in ls -l | drwxr-xr-- |
| Binary | 111 101 100 |
| World-writable | No |
Frequently asked questions
What does chmod 754 mean?
It sets owner to read, write, execute, group to read, execute, others to read. In symbolic notation that is rwxr-xr--.
How do I apply 754?
Run chmod 754 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 754 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 754 in symbolic notation?
rwxr-xr--. Written as ls -l shows it, with a leading file-type character, an ordinary file would appear as -rwxr-xr-- and a directory as drwxr-xr--.