In an OS, permissions are used to control access to system resources such as files, folders, and devices. Each file and folder on a system has an associated set of permissions that specifies which users or groups are allowed to read, write, or execute the file. Permissions are enforced by the operating system, which checks a user's permissions before allowing them to access a resource.
Typically, permissions are assigned to three groups of users: the owner of the file or folder, members of the file's group, and all other users. Each group has a set of permissions that can be set to allow or deny access to the resource. The permissions for each group can be set separately for reading, writing, and executing the file.
Permissions can also be inherited from parent folders, allowing administrators to set permissions for an entire directory structure rather than setting them individually for each file. This simplifies the process of managing permissions and ensures that all files and folders within a directory have consistent permissions.