2.3 Git Basics: Git and File Permissions

Table of Contents

• Git and File Permissions
• Important for Linux/MacOS projects
• How to install/remove executability

Git and File Permissions

Git is a powerful version control system that tracks changes to files within a project. One important aspect of Git is how it handles file permissions. When you add a file to Git, it tracks the file’s executable bit, which determines whether the file can be run as a program.

Important for Linux/MacOS projects

In Linux and macOS, file permissions are an essential part of the operating system’s security model. The executable bit determines whether a file can be run as a program, and different users or groups may have different levels of access to a file. Git takes this into account when tracking changes to files in a project.

It’s important to note that Git only tracks the executable bit and not other file permissions such as read or write access. This means that if you change the read or write permissions on a file, Git will not track those changes.

How to install/remove executability

If you need to install or remove the executability of a file in Git, you can do so using the chmod command. This command allows you to change the file’s permissions, including the executable bit.

		# To add executability to a file:
		chmod +x filename

		# To remove executability from a file:
		chmod -x filename
	

By using these commands, you can easily add or remove the executable bit from a file in your Git project. This ensures that the file is tracked correctly by Git and that it canbe run as a program if needed.

Conclusion

Understanding how Git works with file permissions is important for any project, especially those on Linux or macOS systems. Git tracks the executable bit of a file, which determines whether it can be run as a program. By using the chmod command, you can easily install or remove the executability of a file in your Git project.