Permissions & Security (Chmod/Chown/ACLs/SELinux/AppArmor)
Find out who really messed up those file permissions
🧩 The Challenge
You know that feeling when you chmod -R 777 a directory just to get the app working and suddenly everything breaks because the service user isn’t who you thought it was? Or better yet, when you spend half the day auditing a directory and realize the ACLs are a complete mess of inherited garbage.
đź’ˇ The Fix
Stop squinting at ls -l and just use getfacl to see the full reality of what’s going on, including those hidden ACL entries that chmod doesn’t even show you. It cuts through the noise and shows you the effective permissions for each user.
getfacl -R /path/to/your/messy/directory⚙️ Why It Works
This utility pulls the entire access control list, including default entries that might be causing new files to inherit permissions you definitely didn’t intend for them to have. It bypasses the limitation of standard mode bits that only show you the owner, group, and everyone else.
🚀 Pro-Tip: Use getfacl -R /path > perms.txt before you start hacking at permissions so you can actually undo your mistakes if the service crashes.
Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 7/15/2026