chmod on a symbolic link

[MikeL_4]

How do you change permissions on linked files, chmod does not seem to work...

Do I have to change my umask setting, and then delete and redefine the link ??

[Sanjay_6 · Accepted solution]

hi,

chmod on a soft link would change the permissins for the file it is linked to.

To change the link permissions delete the link, umask and recreate it.

Both the situations it is one and the same thing.

Hope this helps.

Regds

[Robert-Jan Goossens_1]

Hi,

Check A. Clay's answer in next thread.

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=541998

Best regards,
Robert-Jan

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Mike,

Perms & ownership on/of a soft link have no meaning - they're ignored. To change the perms/ownership on the destination just run the chown/chmod upon it directly.
Now hard links are another thing. Changing perms/owner on the link will change it on the destination.
So the key is whether it's a soft or hard link.

HTH,
Jeff

[Michael Roberts_3]

you _can_ 'chown' a symlink with
chown -h user:group symlinkName

But, as others and the referenced thread say, the mode of a symlink doesn't matter.

[Geoff Wild]

Yes - it really doesn't matter - as ownership is reflected by the actual location...

Rgds...Geoff

[MikeL_4]

Thanks