Linux lsattr Command with Practical Examples

Introduction

In this lab, you will learn how to use the lsattr command in Linux to view and manage the extended attributes of files and directories. The lsattr command allows you to inspect the special properties of files, such as whether they are immutable or append-only. You will also learn how to recursively list the attributes of all files and directories within a specified directory. This lab covers the basics of file and directory operations in Linux, providing practical examples to help you become more proficient with the lsattr command.

Linux Commands Cheat Sheet

Understand the lsattr Command

In this step, you will learn about the lsattr command in Linux, which allows you to view the attributes of files and directories.

The lsattr command is used to list the extended attributes of one or more files. These extended attributes provide additional information about the file, such as whether the file is immutable, append-only, or has other special properties.

To use the lsattr command, simply run the following command in your terminal:

lsattr [filename]

Replace [filename] with the name of the file or directory you want to inspect.

Example output:

--------------e----------- file.txt

The output shows the file attributes for the file.txt file. The attributes are represented by a series of letters, where each letter represents a specific attribute. In this example, the e attribute indicates that the file has the "extent" attribute, which is used by some file systems to improve performance.

You can also use the lsattr command to list the attributes of all files in a directory by running the following command:

lsattr -R [directory]

Replace [directory] with the name of the directory you want to inspect. The -R option tells lsattr to recursively list the attributes of all files and directories within the specified directory.

Example output:

--------------e----------- file1.txt
--------------e----------- file2.txt
--------------e----------- subdir/file3.txt

This output shows the attributes of three files, including a file in a subdirectory.

View File Attributes Using lsattr

In this step, you will learn how to use the lsattr command to view the attributes of files and directories in your Linux system.

First, let's create a few files and directories in the ~/project directory:

cd ~/project
touch file1.txt file2.txt
mkdir subdir
touch subdir/file3.txt

Now, let's use the lsattr command to view the attributes of these files and directories:

lsattr file1.txt file2.txt subdir subdir/file3.txt

Example output:

--------------e----------- file1.txt
--------------e----------- file2.txt
--------------e----------- subdir
--------------e----------- subdir/file3.txt

The output shows the attributes of the files and directories. In this case, the e attribute is set, which indicates that the file or directory has the "extent" attribute.

You can also use the -R (recursive) option to view the attributes of all files and directories within a directory:

lsattr -R ~/project

Example output:

--------------e----------- file1.txt
--------------e----------- file2.txt
--------------e----------- subdir
--------------e----------- subdir/file3.txt

This command will recursively list the attributes of all files and directories within the ~/project directory.

Manage File Attributes with lsattr

In this step, you will learn how to use the lsattr command to manage the attributes of files and directories.

First, let's create a new file and set some attributes on it:

touch file4.txt
sudo lsattr file4.txt

Example output:

--------------e----------- file4.txt

As you can see, the e attribute is set on the file by default.

Now, let's add the i (immutable) attribute to the file:

sudo lsattr +i file4.txt
lsattr file4.txt

Example output:

----i---------e----------- file4.txt

The i attribute indicates that the file is immutable, meaning it cannot be modified, deleted, or renamed.

You can also remove attributes from a file using the - prefix. For example, to remove the i attribute:

sudo lsattr -i file4.txt
lsattr file4.txt

Example output:

--------------e----------- file4.txt

The i attribute has been removed, and the file is now editable.

You can also apply attributes to multiple files or directories at once:

touch file5.txt file6.txt
sudo lsattr +a file5.txt file6.txt
lsattr file5.txt file6.txt

Example output:

-a--------------e----------- file5.txt
-a--------------e----------- file6.txt

In this example, the a (append-only) attribute has been added to file5.txt and file6.txt.

Summary

In this lab, you learned about the lsattr command in Linux, which allows you to view the extended attributes of files and directories. You explored how to use the lsattr command to list the attributes of a single file or recursively list the attributes of all files in a directory. You also learned how to manage file attributes using the lsattr command, such as setting the immutable or append-only attributes on a file.

Linux Commands Cheat Sheet