Quick Tip

Instantly See File Permissions & Ownership with `stat`

Challenge: You need to quickly determine the ownership, permissions, size, and timestamps of a file without resorting to multiple commands like `ls -l` and then `ls -lt`.

The Solution: Leverage the `stat` command for a comprehensive overview of file metadata.

stat filename

Why it works: The `stat` command provides a single output stream with detailed information about the file, including access, modify, and change times, inode information, block count, and most importantly, user and group ownership along with read/write/execute permissions in both symbolic and octal formats.

Pro-Tip: Use `stat -c “%U %G %A” filename` to get just the owner, group, and symbolic permissions.

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 5/1/2026