The K Desktop Environment
NextPreviousTable of Contents

5. Questions and Answers

What do the numbers mean?

They are the single-digit (octal) representations of the permissions. Add 4 if read permission is set, 2 if write is set and 1 if execute is set. So, read/write/no-execute is 6 and read-only is 4.
 

When you open a symbolic link, which file gets changed -- the link or the original?

If a link is selected with the "Open" command, the link's permissions are changed, not the original's. However, if a link is given in the command-line, it is resolved to the original file.


For more information, read the man pages for chmod, chown, chgrp and ls.
Other questions? Write to me!
NextPreviousTable of Contents