Linux Access Control Lists: Simplifying Permissions Management

Last Blog Review →

In the last, blog we learned about the Linux File Hierarchy System and it’s important Directories which helps to allow the User’s to use Linux OS.

Permissions in Linux →

Permissions in the Linux play’s important role, as it manages if the user or user group or files have the permission to read, write, edit the data in the directory. It also enhances the security and functionality, access is controlled and system integrity is maintained.

Let’s look at the permissions of Linux →

• Access Control List

1. What is ACL ?

Access Control List provides additional and more flexible permission mechanism for file systems.

Access Control List is a service which is use for providing special permission to the specific user & group to particular directories and files.

2. Use of ACL

   Say we have a scenario, where we have created a user group who has some permission to access the files in a particular directory. Later on new member is added to a team and that member shouldn’t be part of the user group you created. But still you want to give him some permission say read permission to a particular file which can be accessed by group member’s itself. In this case Access Control List come’s into picture.

3. Access Control List Syntax

   a. Check ACL Permission

    getfacl <name of file or directory>
   

   b. To set ACL permission to user

    setfacl  -m u:mihir:rwx <file or directory>
   

   c. To remove ACL Permission of user

    setfacl -x u:mihir:rwx  <file or directory>
   

   d. To set ACL Permission of Group

    setfacl -m g:mahigroup:rwx <file or directory>
   

   e. To remove ACL Permission of Group

    setfacl -x g:mahigroup:rwx <file or directory>
   

   f. To remove all ACL Permission

setfacl -b <file or directory>

Conclusion →

So, we have learned about how permission’s play an important role in the Linux access management and one of the main permission control which is Access Control List that manages specific permission provided to the user for group.