Make a file executable
Low risk
What do risk levels mean?
- Read-only
- Inspects state without changing anything.
- Low risk
- Reversible with a routine follow-up command.
- Medium risk
- Changes state; undo path documented.
- Destructive
- Deletes or overwrites; confirmation required.
Adds execute permission to a script or binary so it can be run directly, the usual fix for "permission denied" on a freshly written script.
filespermissionschmodexecutable
Parameters
File to make executable.
Commands
Check the file's current permissions
ls -l "<file>"Add execute permission for user, group, and others
chmod +x "<file>"Verification
ls -l "<file>"The permission string now contains x, e.g. -rwxr-xr-x.
Undo
Remove the execute permission again
chmod -x "<file>"Pitfalls
- The script also needs a correct shebang line (e.g. "#!/usr/bin/env bash") to run directly.
- On Windows, execution policy (Get-ExecutionPolicy) governs whether .ps1 scripts run, not a file permission.
- Files on some mounted volumes (e.g. exFAT) ignore permission bits entirely.