The following are a couple of UNIX shell commands that can instantly change all folder or file permissions on your website. What is a UNIX shell commands and why would you need it?
UNIX shell commands are commands that you can run on your Linux web server if you have SSH or Telnet access. Most web hosts, like Hostgator or Bluehost, provide SSH access if you ask for it.
One of the main reasons for running a shell command on your web server is when the file permissions on your Joomla or WordPress site are incorrect. Most web servers require that all of your folders have a permission of 755 and your files 644. If the permissions are incorrect, you might get errors or your site might not even load.
Sometimes, when you upload your WordPress or Joomla files, or move them to a different server, the file permissions will get screwed up. Since there are hundreds or even thousands of files in a WordPress or Joomla website, changing the permissions on all these files could take hours using an FTP tool.
The following two commands will change all permissions on your web server in a few seconds.