Quick Tip

Quickly Inspect File Ownership and Permissions with `stat`

Challenge: You need to quickly determine the owner, group, and permissions of a file or directory without cluttering your output or using lengthy commands.

The Solution: Utilize the `stat` command with specific format specifiers.

stat -c '%U:%G %A %n' your_file_or_directory

Why it works: The `stat` command provides detailed file status. The `-c` option allows you to specify a custom output format: `%U` for the owner’s username, `%G` for the group name, `%A` for the human-readable permissions, and `%n` for the filename.

Pro-Tip: For a quick visual of just the permissions in octal format, use stat -c '%a %n' your_file_or_directory.

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