Changing file permission in Python

Abul Hasnat picture Abul Hasnat · Apr 27, 2013 · Viewed 146.4k times · Source

I am trying to change permission of a file access:

os.chmod(path, mode)

I want to make it read-only:

os.chmod(path, 0444)

Is there any other way make a file read-only?

Answer

John La Rooy picture John La Rooy · Apr 27, 2013
os.chmod(path, stat.S_IRUSR | stat.S_IRGRP | stat.S_IROTH)

stat

The following flags can also be used in the mode argument of os.chmod():

stat.S_ISUID Set UID bit.

stat.S_ISGID Set-group-ID bit. This bit has several special uses. For a directory it indicates that BSD semantics is to be used for that directory: files created there inherit their group ID from the directory, not from the effective group ID of the creating process, and directories created there will also get the S_ISGID bit set. For a file that does not have the group execution bit (S_IXGRP) set, the set-group-ID bit indicates mandatory file/record locking (see also S_ENFMT).

stat.S_ISVTX Sticky bit. When this bit is set on a directory it means that a file in that directory can be renamed or deleted only by the owner of the file, by the owner of the directory, or by a privileged process.

stat.S_IRWXU Mask for file owner permissions.

stat.S_IRUSR Owner has read permission.

stat.S_IWUSR Owner has write permission.

stat.S_IXUSR Owner has execute permission.

stat.S_IRWXG Mask for group permissions.

stat.S_IRGRP Group has read permission.

stat.S_IWGRP Group has write permission.

stat.S_IXGRP Group has execute permission.

stat.S_IRWXO Mask for permissions for others (not in group).

stat.S_IROTH Others have read permission.

stat.S_IWOTH Others have write permission.

stat.S_IXOTH Others have execute permission.

stat.S_ENFMT System V file locking enforcement. This flag is shared with S_ISGID: file/record locking is enforced on files that do not have the group execution bit (S_IXGRP) set.

stat.S_IREAD Unix V7 synonym for S_IRUSR.

stat.S_IWRITE Unix V7 synonym for S_IWUSR.

stat.S_IEXEC Unix V7 synonym for S_IXUSR.