chmod 711-rwx--x--x
chmod 711 gives the owner full access while the group and everyone else get execute-only access — no read, no write. On a directory, that means "enter, but don't browse."
Owner
You, the file's creator
Group
Everyone in the file's group
Public
Everyone else on the system
Special permissions(advanced, rarely needed)
Common presets
On a file, 711 lets the owner read, write, and execute it, while the group and everyone else can only execute it — they can't view its contents. This mostly matters for compiled binaries you want runnable but not readable by other accounts; interpreted scripts usually still need read access for the interpreter to load them.
On a directory, 711 has a genuinely common, intentional use: other users can traverse into it and reach a specific file if they already know its exact name and path, but they can't list the directory's contents to discover what's there, and they can't create or delete anything inside. This is the classic mode for a directory like /home, where each user's own subdirectory needs to be reachable but the sibling list shouldn't be browsable.
When to use chmod 711
Use 711 on a parent directory that acts as a pass-through — reachable by path for specific known files or subdirectories, but not something you want other users casually browsing.
Security notes
711 is safer than 755 specifically when you want to hide what exists inside a directory from casual listing while still allowing controlled, by-name access to what's inside — it trades "anyone can see what's here" for "anyone can reach it only if they already know the name."