RE: error loading key ??

From: SM <sm_at_resistor.net>
Date: Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:58:33 -0700

Hi Stephen,
At 08:50 03-07-10, Stephen eire wrote:
>I don't understand why the directory needs the x bit set in order to
>open a file contained therein as read only?
>
>I don't suppose the how and why really matters as the problem is
>solved, but I am interested why it needed the x :)

      The execute bit for a directory is often referred to as the ``search''
      bit. In order to access a file, a user must have execute permission in
      each directory leading up to it in the filesystem hierarchy. For exam-
      ple, to access the file /bin/ls, execute permission is needed on /, /bin,
      and, of course, the ls binary itself.

For directories, the read bit allows you to view the directory
contents, the write bit is required to create and delete files, and
the execute bit is to required to "cd" to that directory.

Regards,
-sm
Received on Sat Jul 03 2010 - 16:59:47 PST