Unlike Microsoft Windows, Ubuntu doesn’t have Hidden attribute in folder properties, but rather it has better option to protect or hide the important folders and files. Linux is famous for security and Ubuntu has no exception. Ubuntu can protect your folder without using any type of software.
So to protect your important files in Ubuntu follow these steps.
STEP 1:
Create a new folder anywhere you want, and again create new folder inside that folder. Lets consider we have created two folders “TheChetan.com F1″ and inside that “TheChetan.com F2″. Now put all your important files inside inner folder “TheChetan.com F2″.
STEP 2:
Right click on 1st folder i.e. “TheChetan.com F1″ and Go to properties.
Then select “Permissions” tab. and then select “List files only” in “Folder access” option. If you have multiuser system then do same thing for all users by selecting the proper group.
In just two steps you have protected your files inside a folder, Now when ever somebuddy tries to open the inner folder he/she will get the “Permission Error”.
You can do this trick on single folder or single file, but using two folders you can hide the actual file names too. Actually this is just a basic folder protection trick for Ubuntu, just replacement for Hidden attribute in Windows OS.
Error !!
Nov 26, 2008 at 9:47 am
This trick works, of course, on any Linux distro and any Desktop Environment, such as KDE or Enlightenment.
You can also ‘hide’ files by starting the filename/foldername with a dot like this:
> .hiddenfolder
This of course doesn’t provide the security of the Permission changes in this blogpost, but its worth noting that most of a user’s configuration files are stored in their /home/username/ directory, and are ‘hidden’ from normal view this way.
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Nov 26, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Nice post. I used to hide a volume by mounting with this idea so that the other users did not know its existence.
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Feb 18, 2009 at 8:04 pm
I have already locked the folders with your above mentioned instructions.But now i want to access that folders.How can I access that folders.Pls reply soon on my e-mail ID
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Chetan Replied:
February 18, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Hello Saurabh,
To remove the locking just right click on the folder and go to permissions and then change the folder access mode to its default mode..
Hope this will solve your problem.
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Apr 16, 2009 at 8:36 am
Cool chethan it works good….. after enabling that list files option you can even hide the folder as lefty.crupps mentioned..
thanks all
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Apr 26, 2009 at 12:32 am
Hi… why dont the same thing work on external hard disk… how to hide folders or lock folders on external hard disk.. any suggestions??… my external hard disk is nfs system is it the cause that i cant apply the above list step?.. please help me
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May 23, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Thanks for this
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May 25, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Thanks for this, great solution
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May 26, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Will the method described at thechetan.com/2008/11/how-to-hide-or-protect-folders-in-ubuntu-linux/
work for folders on an external hard drive? If not, is there a method–or software–to do so?
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Dec 17, 2009 at 8:19 pm
How to Hide Folders in Ubuntu?
I have single user.. I dont want to creat one more user, But I want to hide my own folde, so Please help me any one
can any one help me?
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muhin Replied:
May 11, 2010 at 9:37 pm
# create a folder
# type folder name start with dot(.).Example: .muhin
# Press Enter
# Press Ctrl+R
Show Hidden Folder:
# Open Edit on the Menubar-Preferences
# Select “Show Hidden and backup Files”
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Mar 21, 2010 at 10:28 pm
I tried to do this but unable. because I try to change the Folder access in to “list files only” but it quickly change into “create and delete files” again. what can I do? please help me.
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Oct 22, 2010 at 12:20 pm
chetan you are really intelligent,thanks i have search a lot of web site for this but the real solution come from you,thanks….
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Feb 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm
I tried to do this but unable. because I try to change the Folder access in to “list files only” but it quickly change into “create and delete files” again. what can I do? please help me.
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Mar 19, 2011 at 3:27 pm
thanks i tried this in different way i change owner to root now for other’s inner folder is not visible.
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Jun 25, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Hi chetan,
These are old tricks like the chmod,chown,.(dot)hidden folders and is not secure.
With your tricks,put a live cd and booting up system will by pass the root user account and doing a search on command line will expose all the hidden files or tricks.
Case:
I have a confidential file in my linux box and i should be the only one to access these files.That is i need a software that will store all my files,encrypt it and i will be the only one to access.Is there exist any software for ubuntu.
Please don’t tell me about the zip,rar encryptions and drive encryption in ubuntu
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Dragon Replied:
August 19, 2011 at 9:37 pm
@John Hope,
Truecrypt
File encryption software. Cross platform. Very good program. Not available through software center, but easy to download and double click install. Free. Many different options for encrypting/hiding files,folders, or entire drives
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Sep 24, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Okay.. i will try It .. But I am looking for a option which work like windows…
I am using Both Os
Vista and Ubuntu
that folder is hidden in vista but showing in ubuntu.. I want to hide that4m ubuntu Too
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Nov 12, 2011 at 7:01 am
See still there are problems. Suppose I hide the folder as specified. But another person who know how to do this can go to permissions and change the folder access na? So we want a solution when one file or folder is locked in the above way another person when try to open it must be prompted by a password. Is there a solution of this type?
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