UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I'v had a tough time coming up with a reason I would want to compare files...at least on a regular basis. In regards to chmod, the value of this command is self-evident for file integrity, file sharing, etc. However, I notice that a lot of the regular UNIX users use the absolute form, vice the simplified one. Which do you prefer and why? Is this another "experts prefer the more complex, but more streamlined way" type of situation? In terms of more and less, I have read that they close to the same thing, excepting for the fact that less does not need to read the entire file before displaying the first page of content - making it faster with big files.

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I use both whichever it is convenient for the situation. To set executable bit of course "chmod +x files" is good. However to change a set of files with different chmod values to the same one then "chmod 755 cgi-bin/*.pl" will be more convenient because the original chmod becomes irrelevant.

Originally there was only the numeric style of chmod. When the posix standard was developed the symbolic style was added. The symbolic style moves the command away from how it is implemented and toward what is being done. It makes it more apt to be doable on other OS's. At least that was the idea.

And it adds some new capabilities. While I still like the numeric style, consider this:
chmod u+x somefile
I can't do that numerically. I would need to find the current settings. Mentally add in what I want. And then type the command.

The original "more" was very primative. Over the decades, stuff was added in. "less" was originally a big jump forward. A lot of stuff is like that. Authors borrow ideas from one another.