5.3 Setting the default

The BASH command umask sets the default permissions for all further file creation. This command can also use the same symbolic codes used by chmod. For example, umask u+rw means that all future files create will automatically have read/write permissions granted to the user owner.

The root can set up a skeleton folder that will be used to create all further user accounts. This folder is located at /etc/skel. The permissions of /etc/skel are cloned to new user accounts when adduser is used. As a result, one can change the permissions of /etc/skel to change the default of user home directories.

For example, you can execute the following command to disable read permission from all “other” users.

chmod o-r /etc/skel