Hi:
How do you change permissions for a whole directory tree (subtree)?

You just add "-R", so for example.

stf92, I assume you are looking at the chmod or chown commands.

The best place to check for any of these quick questions is the man page. Do a man chmod or man chown and find your answer. You can also look at online manual page sites(I usually prefer this so I dont have to lose my bash prompt to a man page) like ss64.com/bash/.

I know the answer, but since this is an easy one I'm going with the teach a man to fish analogy. If you are looking for something beyond this re-post with some more detail and we can help you out.

---------- Post added 07-12-12 at 11:01 AM ----------

Aww 273 you ruined my post! I was going to make him find it himself...

Fine, 273. Helpful answer.
@Kustom42: and is it not to help linux beginners what this forum is aall about?

In this case, both stf92 and kustom42 are right. A quick answer to a quick question is great. But, you've been registered here since 2007...that is, FIVE YEARS. Hardly a beginner, and have certainly used Linux long enough to know about man pages.

I was trying to get you to do a man page search for your answer.

Just for your info in case you didn't know how.


But yes, stf the point is to help people with Linux. I like empowering people to find the answers themselves if possible, it usually makes them feel better about it. Wasn't trying to do anything else but help

Sorry Kustom42, you were quite right to point him to the man page. stf92, you should check out the man page for every command you use as a matter of course -- even if you don't want to learn Linux it's still helpful to know you're getting the most from it and you're not missing anything.

This calls for an answer. Once I downloaded, in an internet cafe where I stayed all nigth to do it, a linux to boot within MS-DOS. And, without having recourse to internet, I managed to make it boot from the BIOS. I considered it a little feat. And of course I had no remedy but to read man pages (and the infos that I disliked). And I still do so. There is a moderator here who believes I do not. He's wrong. If I post a little too much may be LQ is to blame, for it has made me a bit of a lazy boy.

Also, technical Linux questions belong in the main Linux forums rather than General, so I've reported this for moving there.

So you won't end up having executable files along with executable dirs or non-executable files with non-executable dirs.

It's kind of you, Mr. Alex. Should a directory be executable or non executable? Or depends on its contents?

Directory needs to be executable for you to be able to create or write any files to the directory.

Thanks a lot and a good week-end.

To be completely pedantic,

• "r" allows to read (see) the contents of a dir
• "x" allows to actually `cd` into dir and get access to contents
• "w" allows to change contents of a dir - create/delete/modify files and subdirs

This is not as obvious as with permissions for files.