To display file permissions in symbolic format using the ls command in Linux, you can combine the -l and -g options. This will display a long listing of files and directories, including group ownership and permission information in symbolic format. Here is an example command:
ls -lg
This command will list all files and directories in the current directory, with the permission information displayed in symbolic format on the far left side of the output, alongside group and ownership information.
The symbolic format represents the read, write, and execute permissions for the user, group, and others using symbols such as r (read), w (write), and x (execute). Additional symbols such as + (add permission) and - (remove permission) can be used to modify permission values.
For example, a file with permissions -rw-r--r--, owned by user alice and group users, would be displayed in symbolic format as follows: rw-r--r-- alice users.
If you need to modify file permissions in symbolic format, you can use the chmod command, which allows you to set or modify file permissions using symbolic or octal notation. For more information on using the chmod command, refer to the chmod manual page by running man chmod in your terminal.