What will be the output of ls -l file.txt after running chmod 640 file.txt on a file owned by user 'alice' and group 'staff'?

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Linux CLI - File Permissions and Ownership

What will be the output of ls -l file.txt after running chmod 640 file.txt on a file owned by user 'alice' and group 'staff'?

A-rw-r----- 1 alice staff 0 date file.txt

B-rwxr-xr-x 1 alice staff 0 date file.txt

C-rw-rw-r-- 1 alice staff 0 date file.txt

D-r--r----- 1 alice staff 0 date file.txt

Step-by-Step Solution

Solution:

Step 1: Decode chmod 640 permissions
6 = read(4)+write(2) for owner, 4 = read(4) for group, 0 = no permissions for others.
Step 2: Translate to ls -l format
Owner: rw-, Group: r--, Others: ---. So the permission string is '-rw-r-----'. The rest shows ownership and file info.
Final Answer:
-rw-r----- 1 alice staff 0 date file.txt -> Option A
Quick Check:
chmod 640 = rw-r----- [OK]

Quick Trick: Match digits to rwx: 6=rw-, 4=r--, 0=--- [OK]

Common Mistakes:

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