Permissions & Security (Chmod/Chown/ACLs/SELinux/AppArmor)

Stop ignoring the extra permission bit that breaks your scripts

🧩 The Challenge

You finally fixed your permissions with chmod 755 but the script still throws a permission denied error when you try to execute it from a different group. It drives you nuts because the bits look perfect, but the actual ownership or sticky bit is playing games with you behind the scenes.

💡 The Fix

Use getfacl to actually see the full permission story instead of just relying on the limited output from a standard directory listing. It saves you from guessing which secondary group or specific ACL entry is actually blocking your access.

getfacl -R /path/to/directory

⚙️ Why It Works

Standard ls output hides those pesky hidden ACLs that get inherited or manually set, which are usually the real culprits when permissions seem to make no sense. The -R flag recursively dumps everything so you can spot where the chain of access actually breaks.

🚀 Pro-Tip: If you need to set those defaults so future files behave, use setfacl -d to bake them into the directory.

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 8/26/2026