Chmod 711 Explained
Chmod 711: owner has full access, group and others can only execute/traverse. Hides directory contents while allowing known-path access.
Permission
711
rwx--x--x
chmod 711 filename
Permission Breakdown
| Role | Read (4) | Write (2) | Execute (1) | Octal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | r | w | x | 7 | read, write, execute |
| Group | - | - | x | 1 | execute |
| Others | - | - | x | 1 | execute |
Visual Permission Grid
Detailed Explanation
The permission 711 gives the owner full access while only granting execute permission to group and others.
Octal breakdown:
- 7 (Owner): read (4) + write (2) + execute (1) = full access
- 1 (Group): execute (1) only
- 1 (Others): execute (1) only
In symbolic notation this is rwx--x--x. The owner has full control. Group and others can only execute (for files) or traverse (for directories).
For directories, this creates an interesting access pattern: users cannot list the directory contents (ls will fail) but can access files within it if they know the exact filename. This is sometimes called "blind access" — you can reach specific files by name but cannot discover what files exist. For executable files, it means users can run the program but cannot read its source code.
This permission is commonly used for home directories on public-facing web servers, allowing the web server to traverse into subdirectories (like public_html) without being able to list the user's other files.
Use Case
Used for home directories on web hosting servers where the web server needs to traverse into public_html but should not be able to list the user's other files.