Written 30 Aug 2026. This is a how-to, not a product card.

See file size, date, and permissions

After SSH works, look at one file with stat so you can see its size, last-change date, and permissions without opening it. You don't need a file manager for this.

Download a file onto the computer put a practice file in home. Check a file fingerprint proved the bytes. Tonight you take one more look: how big that file is, when it last changed, and who can read it. stat prints those facts. You are still only looking on the computer. It does not need a file manager, a desktop, or a NAS for this one job.

Skip until SSH already works

SSH from the couch should already get you a prompt. Prefer a practice file from download a file onto the computer (~/example.html). If you only need names in a folder, that is see what's in a folder. If you only need what kind of file this is, that is see what kind of file this is. If you only need a line count, that is see how long a file is. If you only need a fingerprint, that is check a file fingerprint. If you want to change permissions, that is make a file runnable. Skip this whole note if you only need a house share other computers browse. That is a folder the house can open.

What this is

stat prints facts about a file. You type stat, then a path in home. It prints a short block: File, Size, Access (permission letters), then Access/Modify/Change dates. Size is how many bytes the file takes. Modify is when the file last changed. Permissions are letters like -rw-r--r--. They say who can read, write, or run. It is not a folder list. That is see what's in a folder. It is not a kind-of-file guess. That is see what kind of file this is. It is not a fingerprint. That is check a file fingerprint. It is not a line count. That is see how long a file is. It is not changing permissions. That is make a file runnable. It is not dumping text. That is read a file without opening the editor.

Look at one practice file in home

SSH in. Make sure home is where you sit:

pwd

You want a path that ends in your login name. Prefer the practice page from curl:

ls -lh ~/example.html

If that file is missing, make a tiny practice file instead:

printf 'hello\n' > ~/check-me.txt

Now ask for facts:

stat ~/example.html

Or, if you made the tiny file:

stat ~/check-me.txt

You want a block that starts with File:, then Size:, then an Access: line with permission letters like -rw-r--r--, then Access/Modify/Change dates. Tonight, Size, Modify, and the permission letters are the three facts you need. GNU stat (Debian/Ubuntu) prints that multi-line block. A real GNU sample from a 6-byte practice file looks like:

File: /home/you/check-me.txt

Size: 6 Blocks: … IO Block: 4096 regular file

Access: (0644/-rw-r--r--) Uid: …

Modify: 2026-08-30 …

You may also see Device, Inode, Birth, and a Change date. Ignore those tonight. They are internals, not facts for tonight.

Useful extras, still looking only

Want only the size?

stat -c '%n %s bytes' ~/example.html

Want only the modify time, when the file last changed?

stat -c '%y' ~/example.html

Want the permission letters plus who owns the file?

stat -c '%A %U %G' ~/example.html

-c means print only these facts. %n is the name. %s is the size in bytes. %y is the modify time. %A is the permission letters. %U is the owner name. %G is the group name. That is GNU stat on Debian and Ubuntu.

Skip macOS stat -f as tonight's lesson. That is the laptop. The computer is GNU stat.

Skip lsattr, getfacl, and find -ls for this practice. Tonight you only print facts about one file in home.

Skip chmod as tonight's lesson. You are looking, not changing permissions. Changing them is make a file runnable.

If it says command not found for stat, install coreutils, then try again:

sudo apt install coreutils

Debian and Ubuntu Server usually already have it. That install is not a reason to buy a file manager.

When you are done looking, throw away the practice file if you made it:

rm ~/check-me.txt

Keep ~/example.html if you still want it from curl, or delete that one the same way. Careful delete only. That is delete a file carefully.

What this is not

This is not a folder list. That is see what's in a folder. It is not a kind-of-file guess. That is see what kind of file this is. It is not a fingerprint. That is check a file fingerprint. It is not a line count. That is see how long a file is. It is not changing permissions. That is make a file runnable. It is not dumping text. That is read a file without opening the editor. It is not wrapping long lines. That is wrap long lines. It is not line numbers. That is number lines. It is not the whole disk. That is see if the computer still has room. It is not folder sizes. That is see which folders are eating the disk. It is not packing files into one archive. That is pack files into one archive. It is not a house share other computers browse. That is a folder the house can open. It is not opening SSH to the internet so you can inspect files from a coffee shop. That is keep the computer on the house network.

What next

Need the practice file first? Download a file onto the computer. Need a fingerprint of those bytes? Check a file fingerprint. Need names in a folder? See what's in a folder. Need what kind of file this is? See what kind of file this is. Need a line count? See how long a file is. Need to change permissions? Make a file runnable. Need the throwaway gone for real? Delete a file carefully. Keep SSH on the house network: keep the computer on the house network. Don't forward port 22.

Skip

• Skip if SSH still fails. Finish SSH from the couch first.
• Skip files under /etc, SSH folders, or paths you don't own. Practice only in home.
• Skip chmod, chown, lsattr, and getfacl as tonight's lesson. Tonight you only print facts.
• Skip macOS stat -f as tonight's tool. The computer is GNU stat.
• Skip buying a file manager. Debian and Ubuntu already ship stat with coreutils.
• Skip opening SSH to the internet so you can inspect files from a coffee shop. That is keep the computer on the house network. Don't forward port 22.