RHEL Linux - Red Hat System Administration Practice Exam 2026 - Free Red Hat Practice Questions and Study Guide

The output `-rw-rw-r--` represents file permissions in a Linux system, and understanding this notation is key to interpreting ownership correctly.

The first character indicates the type of file; in this case, a regular file (denoted by the leading `-`). The next nine characters are grouped into three sets, each corresponding to different levels of ownership: the first three characters represent permissions for the user, the second three for the group, and the last three for others.

Breaking it down:

- The first set `rw-` indicates that the user (the owner of the file) has read (`r`) and write (`w`) permissions, but no execute permission (`-`).

- The second set `rw-` shows that the group has the same permissions as the user, which are read and write.

- The final set `r--` indicates that others (everyone else) have read permission, but no write or execute permissions.

Therefore, the output signifies that both the user and the group can read and write to the file, while others can only read it. This interpretation aligns perfectly with the chosen answer, which describes the ownership conditions accurately.