How to sudo chmod -R 777 * including hidden files?

Question

Basically what I want to do is all in the title. If I want to grant read, write and execute permissions for everybody in a folder then I usually do:

sudo chmod -R 777 *

How can I extend this command to include hidden files and folders (starting with a dot) e.g. like .env? Because in the command above those are not affected.

Solution

Universal:

chmod 777 -R ./* ./.[!.]*

Bash has this command

shopt -s dotglob

to also include hidden files in commands (shopt -u dotglob to disable that behaviour) if you want to stick to using sudo chmod -R 777 *.

• It will break your system if you execute it from the wrong directory.
• NEVER use a bare * but use ./*.
• the shopt method is more secure than the universal one

Comments

[Marc Vanhoomissen]

Only files starting by .* will be affected. The OP wants ALL files.