What does setting permissions 600 for a directory in Linux mean and how does it affect access to it?

Setting permissions 600 for a directory in Linux means that the owner of the directory has read and write rights (rw-), while the group and other users have no rights (---).

However, for directories, the execute (x) permission is important, as it allows entering and searching inside the directory. Without execute permission, access to the directory's contents is impossible, even if read permission is granted.

Therefore, permissions 600 for a directory mean:

• The owner can read the list of files and modify contents (theoretically), but cannot enter the directory because there is no execute permission.
• Other users have no access.

In practice, setting such permissions for a directory is not very useful, as without execute permission, the directory is essentially inaccessible for navigation.

Usually, permissions 700 (rwx------) are set for directories, so that the owner can read, write, and enter, while others cannot.