A Complete Guide to Web Design

60 Chapter 4 – A Beginner’s Guide to the Server

Uploading Documents (FTP)

Web Design in a Nutshell, eMatter Edition

From within the telnet session, begin by checking the current permissions and

owner of the directories and files. You need to be the owner to change permis-

sions on a directory’s contents. At the Unix prompt (%or$), typels -lto view the

contents in the long format. The system returns a listing that looks like this:

drwxrwxrwx 2 jen doc 512 May 19 11:25 chap13

The first ten characters reflect the permissions settings. The first character shows

the file type (directory,d, or plain file,-). The next three characters show the read

(r), write (w), and execute (x) privileges for the owner of the file (in this example,

the userjenis the owner). The next three characters indicate the same three

settings for other members of the file’s group. The final three characters show

permissions for all other users.

In the example above, all users have complete access to the file. If certain permis-

sions are turned off, the space is held with a dash (-). In the following example,

the owner has total access to the file, but the group and other users can only read

the file.

drwxr--r--

A complete explanation of all the finer points of thechmodcommand is beyond

the scope of this chapter, but Table 4-2 shows instructions for a few of the most

common settings you’ll need. Type thechmodcommand and number option as

shown, and substitute your directory name fordirname(note, you can use a “dot”

to indicate the current directory.)

A directory’s access permissions help control access to the files in it, such as

adding, deleting, and renaming files. The permissions on a file control what can be

done to the file’s contents, such as reading or editing.

Table 4-2: Common chmod Settings

Type Permissions Command Result

Directory Allows users in your group

to add, delete, and rename

files in your directory. All

others can only view the

directory’s contents.

chmod 775dirname drwxrwxr-x

Directory Restricts access to all users

except the owner.

chmod 700dirname drwx------

File Allows you and your

group to read and edit the

file, but allows all other

users to read only.

chmod 664filename -rw-rw-r--

File Allows you to edit a file,

but allows everyone else

on the system to read only.

chmod 644filename -rw-r--r--

File Makes a private file that

only you can read or edit.

chmod 600filename -rwx------