Permissions

3.1 What it is.
3.2 How it works.
3.3 How to set file permissions with your FTP Client

3.1  What it is.

A defined set of rules that govern the access rights to files and directories. These rules give some users the 'right' to do certain things with/to files, while limiting others on what 'they' may do.

3.2  How it works.

When listing the contents of a directory using the unix command, ls -l, (in a Telnet or SSH session) you may see a listing like this:

In the Permission column, the first letter indicates whether the listing is a file (-), directory (d) or link (l).
The permissions listed thereafter can be disected into three sets:

rwxrwxrwx = rwx(owner)    rwx(group)    rwx(everyone else)

The read, write, and execute permissions are referred to as r,w, and x respectively. This item can be considered 'open to everyone' as all sets in this permission group can read, write & execute to the file or directory. Consider this item:

rwxr-x--x = rwx(owner)    r-x(group)    --x(everyone else)

Here the permission setting of rwxr-x--x states that:

• the owner has full permissions to the file

• the 'group' is allowed to read and execute(run) the file

• the 'everyone else' set may only run the file, they aren't allowed to read or modify the contents of the file.

The 'Owner' column lists the owner of the file or directory, and the 'Group' column lists the name of the group for the file or directory.

3.3  How to set file permissions with your FTP client

Most FTP clients have this ability. In your FTP client there should be a menu item or button with which you can change the attributes or permissions of your selected files or directories.

Below is instructions to set file permissions with the FTP Programs CuteFTP and WS FTP:

• How to set permissions with CuteFTP:

• How to set permissions with WS FTP: