Quick Tip

Instantly View File Permissions and Ownership with `stat`

Challenge: You need to quickly check the ownership, permissions, size, and last modification time of a file or directory without opening an editor or relying on `ls -l` which can sometimes be verbose.

The Solution: Use the `stat` command with its default options.

stat <filename_or_directory>

Why it works: The `stat` command is designed to display detailed file or filesystem status, providing a comprehensive overview of metadata in a concise format.

Pro-Tip: For just the owner and group, use `stat -c ‘%U %G’ <filename_or_directory>`.

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 5/11/2026