To remove the ACLs and the accompanying plus sign from a file or directory in linux

 

In Linux, a plus sign (+) at the end of the file permissions (e.g., -rwxrwxrwx+) indicates that the file or directory has extended permissions set through Access Control Lists (ACLs).

To remove the ACLs and the accompanying plus sign from a file or directory, you can use the setfacl command:

1. Remove all ACL entries: This will eliminate all extended ACLs associated with the file or directory.

   bash
   setfacl -b filename
   

   Replace filename with the name of your file or directory.

2. Remove the ACL mask: Sometimes, even after removing all ACL entries, the plus sign may persist due to an existing ACL mask. To remove it, use:

   bash
   setfacl -n filename
   

   Combining both steps ensures that all ACL entries and masks are removed:

   bash
   setfacl -bn filename
   

   This command removes all ACL entries and the ACL mask simultaneously, effectively clearing any extended permissions.

Note: After performing these operations, it's advisable to verify the current permissions using ls -l filename to ensure that the ACLs have been successfully removed and that the plus sign no longer appears.

Caution: Modifying ACLs can impact access permissions for users and groups. Ensure that the standard Unix permissions (rwx for user, group, and others) are set appropriately to maintain the desired access controls after removing ACLs.

By following these steps, you can remove the plus sign from the file permissions, indicating that no extended ACLs are set on the file or directory.

Dot at the end of Linux file permissions - How to Remove them

In Linux, when you list files using the ls -l command, a trailing dot (.) at the end of the permission string indicates that the file has an SELinux security context associated with it. This dot signifies that SELinux attributes are present, even if SELinux is disabled on the system.

To remove this trailing dot, you need to clear the SELinux security context from the files. This can be achieved using the setfattr command, which allows you to manipulate extended attributes on filesystem objects. Here's how you can do it:

1. Remove SELinux attribute from a single file or directory:

   bash
   sudo setfattr -h -x security.selinux /path/to/file_or_directory
   

   Replace /path/to/file_or_directory with the actual path of your file or directory.

2. Remove SELinux attributes recursively from a directory and its contents:

   bash
   find /path/to/directory -exec sudo setfattr -h -x security.selinux {} \;
   

   This command will traverse through the specified directory and remove the SELinux security context from all files and subdirectories within it.

Caution: Modifying or removing SELinux security contexts can have security implications. Ensure that you understand the consequences and have appropriate backups before making these changes.

After performing these steps, the trailing dot should no longer appear in the file permissions when you list them using ls -l