What is the effect of the sticky bit on a directory in terms of deletion rights?

• A. Only the file owner or root can delete or rename files within the directory
• B. Anyone can delete files they uploaded
• C. The directory contents are encrypted
• D. The files become read-only

Answer: (A)

The sticky bit on a directory controls who can delete or rename entries inside that directory. When this bit is set, only the owner of a given file (the user who created it) or the superuser can delete or rename that file, even if other users have write permission on the directory. This prevents users from removing or renaming files created by others, which is why a shared directory like /tmp uses this bit. Root can always delete, and the restriction does not involve encryption or making files read-only. So the behavior described—deletion and renaming limited to the file owner or root—best matches the correct choice.