UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Edit: Solved, thanks ranj@chn!


Okay, i use the command: chmod -R ugo+rwx thefolderIwanttochange

Thats fine, but when I create new files or folders within "thefolderIwantochange" they are created with their own permissions (I assume this is normal Unix behaviour) rather than the permissions I set on "thefolderIwanttochange" and any of its subfolders (using the -R)

So I was wondering, is there any way to make it so that when new files or directories are created in "thefolderIwanttochange" or any of its subfolders, that it will automatically have the same permission settings?

Thanks,
Graeme

Read this link . It should answer your doubts.

thanks, thats a good article, but it didn't really answer my question

You control global permission setting using umask. What umask does is - it applies a mask to the global permissions. Normally when files are created, the default permissions set are
This will be applicable if umask is set to 0(zero). If set a mask value of 022 like

Code:

umask 022

then, the permissions generated are
you can see the current umask setting by just giving So, if you want to generate files with a definite set of permissions, you set the umask value accordingly in your .profile file. Ofcourse, you cant set 777 to a file by default as every file need not be executable.

oh ok i didnt get what that meant (sorry I have like no knowledge of Unix). I'll try that, thanks

Edit: Okay I posted too soon

You have to use chmod. There is no other way. The permissions are like that because no one would like their files to be executable by default. Just create a wrapper to give 777 permissions like

Code:

#!/bin/ksh
chmod ugo+rwx $*

Put this into a file called and give the file executable permissions. Then use this to create files with the permissions required.

Code:

cx file1 file_pattn*  [Not tested yet]