What is the purpose of file ownership in Linux systems?

Question

Options

• ATo restrict access to files only to their owner
• BTo enable multiple users to access files simultaneously
• CTo ensure that files are backed up regularly
• DTo protect files from being accidentally deleted

• A
  86% (38)
• B
  7% (3)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  5% (2)

Explanation

File ownership in Linux is a permission mechanism that controls who can read, write, or execute a file, making option A correct - the owner (and root) can set permissions that restrict or grant access to others. Option B is wrong because simultaneous multi-user access is handled by permission bits (read/write flags), not ownership itself. Option C is incorrect because backups are managed by separate tools like cron jobs or rsync, entirely unrelated to ownership. Option D is a common trap - deletion protection is handled by the sticky bit on directories (e.g., /tmp), not file ownership.

Memory tip: Think of ownership as answering "WHO controls this file?" - the owner decides the rules, but the rules themselves are the permissions (chmod). If ownership were about backups or deletion, chown would be in your backup script!

No community discussion yet for this question.