chmod 600 — What Does It Mean?
chmod 600 restricts a file to owner read/write only (6) with no permissions for group or others (0/0), used for SSH keys.
How to use this tool
- Set owner, group, and other permissions (0–7).
- Add permission bits: 4 = read (r), 2 = write (w), 1 = execute (x).
- Copy the octal code and run: chmod 754 filename
chmod 600 is the required permission for private SSH keys and sensitive config files — learn exactly what it does.
Frequently asked questions
- What does chmod 755 mean?
- 755 means: owner has read+write+execute (7), group has read+execute (5), others have read+execute (5). Symbolic: rwxr-xr-x. Common for executables and directories.
- What is chmod 644?
- 644 means owner can read+write (6), group and others can only read (4). Symbolic: rw-r--r--. Standard for web files and config files.