chmod 101 Permission Explained
Summary: chmod 101 gives the owner execute, the group no access, and everyone else execute.
| Class | Read (4) | Write (2) | Execute (1) | Octal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 1 | |||
| Group (g) | 0 | |||
| Others (o) | 1 |
chmod 101 filename
chmod 101 Breakdown
| Class | Digit | Symbolic | On a file | On a directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 1 |
--x |
Execute only | Can enter (cd) but not list contents |
| Group (g) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
| Others (o) | 1 |
--x |
Execute only | Can enter (cd) but not list contents |
Is chmod 101 Safe?
Low Risk
- Even the owner cannot modify this file without changing permissions first.
- Scripts need read permission to run; only compiled binaries can be executed without it.
- Unusual: a lower class has permissions the class above it lacks.
Common Use Cases
101 is uncommon in standard Linux setups. The closest widely used permission is chmod 500.
chmod 101 Command Examples
# Apply using octal mode
chmod 101 filename
# Apply using equivalent symbolic mode
chmod u=x,g=,o=x filename
# Recursive command warning:
chmod -R 101 /path/to/dir
# Note: -R applies the same mode to files and directories. Use find to treat them separately:
find /path/to/dir -type d -exec chmod 101 {} +
# Verify permissions
stat -c '%a %A %n' filename # Linux
stat -f '%Lp %Sp %N' filename # macOS
# Example ls -l output:
---x-----x 1 alice staff 1024 Jan 15 10:00 example.txtumask Relationship
A umask of 676 makes new directories 101. Test umask values with our interactive Umask Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chmod 101 mean?
chmod 101 gives the owner execute, the group no access, and everyone else execute. In octal notation, the owner receives 1 (execute), the group receives 0 (no access), and others receive 1 (execute).
Is chmod 101 safe?
chmod 101 is classified as Low Risk. Even the owner cannot modify this file without changing permissions first.
What is chmod 101 in symbolic notation?
In symbolic notation, chmod 101 is represented as --x-----x. You can apply this permission using the equivalent symbolic command "chmod u=x,g=,o=x filename".
Related Permissions
Change one bit: