# Umask built-in

The umask built-in sets or prints the file mode creation mask.

## Syntax

- `umask mask`

- `umask [-S]`

## Description

If executed without the mask operand, the built-in prints the current file mode creation mask of the shell to the standard output in a form that can later be used as mask to restore the current mask.

Otherwise, the built-in sets the file mode creation mask to mask.

## Options

`-S`
`--symbolic`

  Print in the symbolic form instead of the octal integer form.

## Operands

mask

  The new file mode creation mask either in the symbolic or octal integer form.

### Octal integer form

In the octal integer form, the mask is specified as a non-negative octal integer that is the sum of the following permissions:

0400

  read by owner

0200

  write by owner

0100

  execute/search by owner

0040

  read by group

0020

  write by group

0010

  execute/search by group

0004

  read by others

0002

  write by others

0001

  execute/search by others

### Symbolic form

In the symbolic form, the mask is specified as a symbolic expression that denotes permissions that are not included in the mask.

The entire expression is one or more clauses separated by comma. A clause is a sequence of whos followed by one or more actions.

A who is one of:

`u`

  owner

`g`

  group

`o`

  others

`a`

  all of owner, group, and others

An empty sequence of whos is equivalent to who `a`.

An action is an operator followed by permission. An operator is one of:

`=`

  set who's permission to permission

`+`

  add permission to who's permission

`-`

  remove permission from who's permission

and permission is one of:

`r`

  read

`w`

  write

`x`

  execute/search

`X`

  execute/search (only if some user already has execute/search permission)

`s`

  set-user-ID and set-group-ID

`u`

  user’s current permissions

`g`

  group’s current permissions

`o`

  others' current permissions

but more than one of `r`, `w`, `x`, `X`, and `s` can be specified after a single operand.

For example, the command `umask u=rwx,go+r-w`

- unmasks the user’s read, write, and execute/search permissions;

- unmasks the group’s and others' read permission; and

- masks the group’s and others' write permission.

## Exit status

The exit status of the umask built-in is zero unless there is any error.

## Notes

The umask built-in is a semi-special built-in.

The POSIX standard does not require the default output format (used when the `-S` option is not specified) to be the octal integer form.