In Linux, the permission strings like “drwxrwxr-x” and “drwxr-xr-x” provide vital information about access rights to files and directories. The first character indicates the type, with “d” signifying a directory. The subsequent characters are categorized into three groups of three: the first trio is for the owner, the second for the group, and the third for others. In your examples, “r” stands for read, “w” for write, and “x” for execute. Thus, “drwxrwxr-x” shows that the owner and the group can read, write, and execute, while others can only read and execute. In contrast, “drwxr-xr-x” means the owner has full permissions, the group can read and execute, but not write, and others have the same limited access as the group. This structure directly influences what users can do within the file system and whether they can modify or execute files within those directories.

In practice, if you create a directory with “drwxrwxr-x” and your friends are part of the same group, they will indeed have full permissions to edit and manage the contents of that directory. However, for users outside your group, they’ll only have read and execute access, meaning they can view the directory and its files but cannot make changes. This system is critical for maintaining security; you want to ensure that only the intended individuals can modify your files. To avoid accidental exposure, always review the permissions when sharing files. For instance, if you want to prevent any access from others, make sure the directory’s permissions are set to something like “drwxrwx—” to allow only the owner and group member access, effectively locking out all others.