cx, cw, c-w: Quick File Permission Changes

Here's a short script that I use a lot. To make a new shell script executable, for example, I type:

% cx scriptfile

Using cw adds write permission; c-w takes it away. This is the single script file for all three commands:

#! /bin/sh case "$0" in *cx) chmod +x "$@" ;; *cw) chmod +w "$@" ;; *c-w) chmod -w "$@" ;; *) echo "$0: Help! Shouldn't get here!" 1>&2; exit 1 ;; esac

The script has three links. Put it in a file named cx. Then type:

% chmod +x cx % ln cx cw % ln cx c-w

The script tests the name it was called with, in $0, to decide which chmod command to run. This trick saves disk space. You can add other commands, too, by adding a line to the case and another link. Or you can use aliases ().

- JP