("Change mode") The Unix command and system call to change the access permissions of a named file. Each file (directory, device, etc.) has nine kinds of access which can be allowed or denied. Different permissions apply to the owner of the file, the members of the group the file belongs to, and all users. Each of these classes of user (owner, group and other) can have permission to read, write or execute the file. Chmod can also
set various other mode
bits for a file or directory such as the sticky
bit and the
set user id
bit.