Windows and Unix-like systems handle file permissions differently. While Unix uses chmod to set read (r), write (w), and execute (x) permissions, Windows employs an ACL (Access Control List) system. Here's how to achieve similar functionality:

The closest Windows equivalent is icacls (Integrated Change ACL):

:: Grant read permissions to user
icacls filename.ext /grant UserName:(R)

:: Grant full control
icacls filename.ext /grant UserName:(F)

:: Remove all permissions
icacls filename.ext /remove UserName

For developers needing exact chmod behavior:

# In WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
chmod 755 filename.sh

# Using Cygwin
chmod +x script.sh

Create a custom chmod function in PowerShell:

function chmod {
    param(
        [string]$mode,
        [string]$path
    )
    
    $acl = Get-Acl $path
    switch ($mode) {
        "755" {
            $rule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("Users","FullControl","Allow")
            $acl.SetAccessRule($rule)
            Set-Acl $path $acl
        }
        "644" {
            $rule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("Users","ReadAndExecute","Allow")
            $acl.SetAccessRule($rule)
            Set-Acl $path $acl
        }
    }
}

# Usage:
chmod -mode 755 -path "C:\scripts\test.ps1"

When working with mixed environments:

• Use Git's core.fileMode setting for repository permissions
• Consider containerization (Docker) for consistent permission handling
• For Node.js projects, fs.chmodSync() works on Windows but has limitations

The "Remote - WSL" extension allows seamless permission management when editing Linux files from Windows. Right-click files in Explorer to set permissions through the GUI.

Windows and Unix-like systems handle file permissions differently. While Linux uses chmod with octal or symbolic modes, Windows relies on ACLs (Access Control Lists). Here are key differences:

• Unix permissions use owner-group-others model (e.g., 755)
• Windows uses granular user/group permissions with inheritance
• Windows files have separate "Read-only" attribute (equivalent to 444)

For basic permission changes, use these built-in commands:

# View current permissions
icacls filename

# Set read-only attribute (similar to chmod 444)
attrib +R filename

# Grant full control (similar to chmod 777)
icacls filename /grant Everyone:F

If you have Git for Windows or WSL installed, you can directly use chmod:

# In Git Bash
chmod 755 script.sh

# In WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
wsl chmod +x ~/project/startup.sh

For PowerShell users, here's a function to mimic chmod behavior:

function Set-Chmod {
    param (
        [string]$Path,
        [string]$Mode
    )
    
    $acl = Get-Acl $Path
    switch ($Mode) {
        "755" {
            $acl.SetAccessRuleProtection($true, $false)
            $rule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("Everyone","FullControl","Allow")
            $acl.SetAccessRule($rule)
        }
        "644" {
            $rule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("Everyone","Read","Allow")
            $acl.SetAccessRule($rule)
        }
    }
    Set-Acl $Path $acl
}

For complete POSIX compatibility, Cygwin provides the most accurate chmod implementation:

# Install Cygwin with default packages
# Then use exactly like Linux:
chmod -R 750 /cygdrive/c/project_files

When permission changes don't take effect:

1. Run commands as Administrator
2. Check file isn't locked by another process
3. Verify inheritance isn't blocking changes
4. For WSL, ensure files are in Linux filesystem (/mnt/c has limitations)