Linux Exit Code 126 — Permission Denied

Overview

Linux exit code 126 means the command was found but cannot be executed due to missing execute permission.

Key Details

• bash: ./script.sh: Permission denied
• File exists but lacks execute permission
• Common with downloaded scripts and binaries
• Different from exit code 127 (not found)

Common Causes

• File missing execute permission bit
• Script downloaded without execute permission
• File on a noexec-mounted filesystem
• SELinux blocking execution

Steps

1. 1Add execute permission: chmod +x script.sh
2. 2Or run with interpreter: bash script.sh
3. 3Check mount options for noexec: mount | grep noexec
4. 4Check SELinux: ls -Z script.sh

Tags

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Frequently Asked Questions