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LFCS · Question #361

What is true about the permissions for the file afile given the following output from getfacl? (Select TWO correct answers) % getfacl afile # file: afile # owner: matt # group: support user::rwx…

The correct answer is B. The user hugh will be able to read the contents of the file. E. Anyone in the staff group will be able to read and execute the file. The getfacl output details specific permissions for the file afile, including those for a named user and a named group, which are then evaluated against the ACL mask.

Submitted by minji_kr· Apr 18, 2026Essential Commands

Question

What is true about the permissions for the file afile given the following output from getfacl? (Select TWO correct answers) % getfacl afile # file: afile # owner: matt # group: support user::rwx user:hugh:rw group::r group:staff:rx mask::rwx other::r

Options

  • AAnyone in the support group will be able to read and execute the file.
  • BThe user hugh will be able to read the contents of the file.
  • CAnyone in the users group will be able to read the file.
  • DThe user matt will not be able to edit this file.
  • EAnyone in the staff group will be able to read and execute the file.

How the community answered

(20 responses)
  • A
    5% (1)
  • B
    80% (16)
  • C
    5% (1)
  • D
    10% (2)

Why each option

The `getfacl` output details specific permissions for the file `afile`, including those for a named user and a named group, which are then evaluated against the ACL mask.

AAnyone in the support group will be able to read and execute the file.

The owning group 'support' is granted only 'r' (read) permission by `group::r`, and the `mask::rwx` does not add execute permission for the owning group.

BThe user hugh will be able to read the contents of the file.Correct

The entry `user:hugh:rw` explicitly grants read and write permissions to the user hugh, and since the `mask::rwx` entry does not restrict read access, hugh retains the read permission.

CAnyone in the users group will be able to read the file.

The `getfacl` output does not contain any specific entry for a generic 'users' group, only for the owning group 'support' and the named group 'staff'.

DThe user matt will not be able to edit this file.

The owner 'matt' has `rwx` permissions as indicated by `user::rwx`, which includes write access, allowing them to edit the file.

EAnyone in the staff group will be able to read and execute the file.Correct

The entry `group:staff:rx` explicitly grants read and execute permissions to members of the staff group, and because the `mask::rwx` entry does not restrict these, members of the staff group retain both read and execute permissions.

Concept tested: Linux ACL interpretation and effective permissions

Source: https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/linux-access-control-lists

Topics

#ACLs#File Permissions#getfacl#Access Control Lists

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