Quick Tip

Instant File Ownership & Permissions with `stat`

Challenge: You need to quickly check the ownership and permissions of a file or directory without cluttering your output with `ls -l`.

The Solution: Use the `stat` command with a format string to get only the information you need.

stat -c '%U:%G %a %n' /path/to/your/file_or_directory

Why it works: The `-c` option allows you to specify a format string. `%U` displays the owner’s username, `%G` the group’s name, `%a` the octal permissions, and `%n` the filename. This provides a concise, human-readable summary.

Pro-Tip: For a more verbose output showing all available metadata, simply run `stat /path/to/your/file_or_directory`.

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 5/3/2026