Working with Hidden Files and Permissions

Hidden files (those starting with .) have permissions too, but ls -l won't show them by default.

Revealing Hidden File Permissions:

# Show permissions for all files, including hidden ones
ls -la

# Show permissions for a specific hidden file
ls -l .bashrc

Common Hidden Files You'll Encounter:

• .bashrc - Your shell configuration
• .ssh/ - SSH keys and config
• .gitconfig - Git configuration
• .vimrc - Vim editor settings

Typical Hidden File Permissions:

-rw------- .ssh/id_rsa        # Private key: owner only
-rw-r--r-- .bashrc           # Config: owner write, others read
drwx------ .ssh/             # SSH directory: owner only

Security Note: Hidden files often contain sensitive configuration or private keys. They typically have restrictive permissions (600 or 700) to prevent unauthorized access.