The latest articles on DEV Community by SquirrelEngineering-VVV (@squirrelengineeringvvv). https://dev.to/squirrelengineeringvvv https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4125268%2Faff0626e-2a99-450a-b891-5e0ea41ed237.png https://dev.to/squirrelengineeringvvv en SquirrelEngineering-VVV Mon, 05 Oct 2026 02:22:29 +0000 https://dev.to/squirrelengineeringvvv/if-youre-new-to-the-terminal-chmod-numerical-modes-can-feel-like-a-secret-code-here-is-the-54p8 https://dev.to/squirrelengineeringvvv/if-youre-new-to-the-terminal-chmod-numerical-modes-can-feel-like-a-secret-code-here-is-the-54p8 <p><strong>The Permission Values:</strong></p> <ul> <li> <code>4</code>: Read (<code>r</code>)</li> <li> <code>2</code>: Write (<code>w</code>)</li> <li> <code>1</code>: Execute (<code>x</code>)</li> <li> <code>0</code>: No permission (<code>---</code>)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Calculation Table:</strong><br> | Value | Math | Permissions |<br> | :--- | :--- | :--- |<br> | <strong>7</strong> | 4+2+1 | <code>rwx</code> |<br> | <strong>6</strong> | 4+2+0 | <code>rw-</code> |<br> | <strong>5</strong> | 4+0+1 | <code>r-x</code> |<br> | <strong>4</strong> | 4+0+0 | <code>r--</code> |</p> <p><strong>Applying the Modes:</strong><br> The syntax follows the pattern: <code>chmod [Owner][Group][Others] filename</code></p> <ul> <li> <code>chmod 700</code>: Private (Owner only)</li> <li> <code>chmod 755</code>: Public Read/Execute (Standard for binaries/scripts)</li> <li> <code>chmod 600</code>: Highly Private (Ideal for SSH keys/config)</li> <li> <code>chmod 644</code>: Public Read (Standard for documents/web files)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Pro Tip:</strong> Remember that <code>sudo chmod</code> only affects the <em>ability</em> to change permissions. It does not grant the file "root powers." To execute a file as root, use <code>sudo ./filename</code>.</p> beginners cli linux tutorial