Understanding file permissions and ownership on Linux
Overview
The Linux filesystem is based on a hierarchical directory structure where the root mount point is defined by the ‘/’ symbol. In fact everything is a collection of files (files, directories, partitions, pipes, sockets, and hardware devices). Directories are used as containers that list other files. Most Linux distributions follow the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) for organizing the filesystem structure. Permissions are used to control who can read, write and execute the contents of a file, and ownership indicates to which username and group a file belongs. If you are working as a system administrator, assigning incorrect permissions or ownership can have serious consequences in terms of security. In this article I will explain the theory and show you how to manipulate them using some practical examples.