Which command prints a long listing showing both file permissions and ownership?

• A. ls -l filename
• B. cat filename
• C. stat filename
• D. file filename

Answer: (A)

Long listings reveal detailed metadata, including both file permissions and ownership. Running a long listing on a file outputs a line that begins with the file type and permission bits (for example, -rw-r--r--), followed by the number of hard links, the owner’s name, the group name, the size, the timestamp, and the name. The permission bits show exactly what access is allowed for the owner, group, and others, while the owner and group fields show who owns the file. This combination is what’s being asked for in a single, standard view.

Other commands don’t provide this exact view. Viewing contents prints the file’s data, not its metadata. The stat command shows metadata but not in the canonical long-listing format you get with a typical ls -l. The file command reports the file type, not permissions or ownership.