How to use chmod to access all subdirectories

**CitricAcid** · 29-06-2009

I am working on a Linux server. I am logged on with the root admin. I would like to assign only few users to get access to all files and folders of a directory. Is it possible? Do you know how does chmod works to access all subdirectories? I want the fastest way to achieve my target.

**Luis234** · 29-06-2009

Basically Chmod changes the file/folder permissions in Linux. If you use the -R option along with this command you can change files/folders recursively. So, to enable the write permissions to a directory named "myDir" use

Code:

chmod -R +w myDir

However this may give you an error or warning message asking you for confirmation. If you don't want this error or warning message then simply use "-f" option.

**jesse** · 29-06-2009

The above code only works for single file/folder but not for all subdirectories. In the above case you have to use the above code several times to get access for all file/folder. In order to get access to all subdirectories use 777 as below:

Code:

chmod -R 777 myDir

where myDir is the directory whose subdirectories you want to access.

**Humberto** · 29-06-2009

chmod -R will change everything and not just directories. In order to get access of only directories you can use find + xargs something like this:

Code:

find DIRECTORY_NAME -type f | xargs chmod permissions

Just remember that xargs considers ASCII characters also, and so filenames containing spaces and upper or lower characters means different and the result is also different for everything.