chmod 012 Permission Explained
Summary: chmod 012 gives the owner no access, the group execute, and everyone else write.
| Class | Read (4) | Write (2) | Execute (1) | Octal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 0 | |||
| Group (g) | 1 | |||
| Others (o) | 2 |
chmod 012 filename
chmod 012 Breakdown
| Class | Digit | Symbolic | On a file | On a directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
| Group (g) | 1 |
--x |
Execute only | Can enter (cd) but not list contents |
| Others (o) | 2 |
-w- |
Write only (rarely useful) | No practical effect without x |
Is chmod 012 Safe?
Critical Risk
- Anyone on the system can modify or replace this file.
- Even the owner cannot modify this file without changing permissions first.
- Unusual: a lower class has permissions the class above it lacks.
Common Use Cases
012 is uncommon in standard Linux setups. The closest widely used permission is chmod 000.
chmod 012 Command Examples
# Apply using octal mode
chmod 012 filename
# Apply using equivalent symbolic mode
chmod u=,g=x,o=w filename
# Recursive command warning:
chmod -R 012 /path/to/dir
# Note: -R applies the same mode to files and directories. Use find to treat them separately:
find /path/to/dir -type f -exec chmod 012 {} +
# Verify permissions
stat -c '%a %A %n' filename # Linux
stat -f '%Lp %Sp %N' filename # macOS
# Example ls -l output:
------x-w- 1 alice staff 1024 Jan 15 10:00 example.txtumask Relationship
A umask of 765 makes new directories 012. Test umask values with our interactive Umask Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chmod 012 mean?
chmod 012 gives the owner no access, the group execute, and everyone else write. In octal notation, the owner receives 0 (no access), the group receives 1 (execute), and others receive 2 (write).
Is chmod 012 safe?
chmod 012 is classified as Critical Risk. Anyone on the system can modify or replace this file.
What is chmod 012 in symbolic notation?
In symbolic notation, chmod 012 is represented as -----x-w-. You can apply this permission using the equivalent symbolic command "chmod u=,g=x,o=w filename".
Related Permissions
Change one bit: