bash command to check if a directory is executable

Question

My goal is to check if the the execution bit is not set for a directory.

I changed the permission of /tmp so that the execution bit is off.

root$: chmod 666 /tmp

root$: ls -l /
    ....
    .....    
    drw-rw-rw-  12 root root  4096 Feb 29 15:17 tmp

In my bash script, I have tried the following without success:

if [ ! -x /tmp ]; then 
......

I have experimented with all the suggestions at the following link, but the only different syntax approach does not work for me either:

if [[ ! -x /tmp] ; then

check if a file is executable

These work as expected for regular files, but not for any directory, but I don't know why. Any ideas?

Update #2

I wrote a mini bash script with only the code suggested in a comment below.

Results:

[root@mc/]# cat tst.sh
#!/bin/bash
if [ ! -x /tmp ]; then echo 'not executable!'; fi
exit

[root@mc/]# ./tst.sh
[root@mc/]#

Toberumono · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-29 22:24:16Z

1

All of the code that you have provided in your question is correct (I just finished testing it myself). It stands to reason, therefore, that something else in the script that is failing. If you could, try running this simplified snippet: if [ ! -x /tmp ]; then echo 'not executable!'; fi

As a quick side note, the "executable" flag for directories in Unix systems does not actually mean "executable". It is actually the way that the directory is marked as searchable. While I'm not sure if this will help with the problem you are working on, it is an interesting usage of existing fields.

answered Feb 29, 2016 at 22:24

Toberumono

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8 Comments

kernel_klink Over a year ago

check out update #2 in my post. I wrote a mini bash script with only your simplified snippet and then ran it. Nothing was output.

Toberumono Over a year ago

Hmm... can you echo the permissions on /tmp again? ls -lAh /tmp

kernel_klink Over a year ago

drw-rw-rw- 12 root root 4096 Mar 1 13:15 tmp

Toberumono Over a year ago

What operating system and shell are you using?

kernel_klink Over a year ago

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.11 (Tikanga). I am using bash.

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AguThadeus · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-29 23:09:36Z

0

You can perhaps use the find command to single out any directory without the executable bit

notex=$(find . -type d -maxdepth 1 -perm 666)

I think that may help..

edited Feb 29, 2016 at 23:09

answered Feb 29, 2016 at 23:01

AguThadeus

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