550
Octal
r-xr-x---
Symbolic
Safe
Security
What does chmod 550 mean?
chmod 550 gives owner and group can read and execute. Read and execute for owner and group, no write for anyone and no access for others — for shared, locked-down scripts or directories.
| Who | Digit | Symbolic | Permissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (user) | 5 | r-x | read, execute |
| Group | 5 | r-x | read, execute |
| Others | 0 | --- | no access |
Each digit is the sum of read (4), write (2) and execute (1). In ls -l the file shows as -r-xr-x--- and a directory as dr-xr-x---.
How to use chmod 550
# one file or directory
chmod 550 filename
# the same permissions in symbolic form
chmod u=rx,g=rx,o= filename
# a directory and everything inside it
chmod -R 550 directory/
# only directories (keep files separate)
find path/ -type d -exec chmod 550 {} +Need a different combination? Tick the boxes in the chmod calculator to get the octal and symbolic values instantly.
Chmod calculatorToggle read, write and execute for owner, group and others to build any permission.
Open the calculator Frequently asked questions
What does chmod 550 do?
It sets the permissions to r-xr-x---: the owner gets read, execute, the group read, execute and others no access.
What is 550 in symbolic notation?
r-xr-x---, or chmod u=rx,g=rx,o= as a symbolic chmod command.Is chmod 550 safe?
Yes, 550 does not give write access to other users.