umask -- Command

Set the file-creation mask
umask [OOO]

The file-creation mask modifies the default mode assigned to each file upon
creation.  The mode sets the  permissions granted by the file's owner, plus
other important information about a file.

The command  umask sets  the default file-creation  mask to OOO,  which are
three octal  numerals.  If  invoked without  an argument, umask  prints the
current file-creation mask in octal.

Note that zero bits in the  mask correspond to permitted permission bits in
the target,  and that execute permission cannot be  enabled via any setting
of mask. See the Lexicon entries  for umask() and chmod for further details
on file mode.  The shell executes umask directly.

Example

Setting mask  to octal 022 (i.e.,  000 010 010) causes  a file created with
mode octal 0666 to actually have permissions of

    rw- r-- r--

Setting mask  to zero (i.e., 000  000 000) causes a  file created with mode
octal 0666 to actually have permissions of

    rw- rw- rw-

See Also

chmod,
commands,
ksh,
sh,
umask()

© 2012 by Stephen A. Ness