In a typical operating system, what is the purpose of file permissions and what are the three basic permission types?

In a typical operating system, what is the purpose of file permissions and what are the three basic permission types?

• A. To display file metadata
• B. To control access to files; read, write, and execute
• C. To schedule tasks
• D. To optimize disk space

Answer: (B)

File permissions determine who can access a file and what actions they can perform, which helps protect data and keep the system stable. The three basic permission types are read, write, and execute. Read lets you view the file’s contents (and for a directory, see what files are inside). Write allows you to modify the file (or add/remove files inside a directory). Execute enables running the file as a program or script, and for directories it allows accessing files inside when combined with other permissions. In most operating systems, these permissions can be set separately for the file’s owner, the owner’s group, and others, giving fine-grained control over who can do what. The other options describe different functions (showing metadata, scheduling tasks, or optimizing storage) and are not about controlling access to files.

File permissions determine who can access a file and what actions they can perform, which helps protect data and keep the system stable. The three basic permission types are read, write, and execute. Read lets you view the file’s contents (and for a directory, see what files are inside). Write allows you to modify the file (or add/remove files inside a directory). Execute enables running the file as a program or script, and for directories it allows accessing files inside when combined with other permissions. In most operating systems, these permissions can be set separately for the file’s owner, the owner’s group, and others, giving fine-grained control over who can do what. The other options describe different functions (showing metadata, scheduling tasks, or optimizing storage) and are not about controlling access to files.