CHMOD allows permissions to be altered, but never before have I seen this command, on its own, summarily delete anything.
Has this happened to anyone else?
(I am using SuSE 11.1, 64-bit edition, installed via SuSE repository rather than the DVD to obtain the latest versions.)
Chmod 666 creates these permissions on a directory: drw-rw-rw-
The bit that is switched off, often abbreviated “x”, is the so-called “enter” bit. You have closed entry to “user/owner”, to “group” and to “others”; i.e. to the “world”. So it is behaving as you directed in your chmod command. Try 777. Here’s a table for other options: Changing Ownership with chown and Permissions with chmod
PS the contents are there – you have simply made them non-viewable.
Please, not 777 again. 755 perhaps. The x bit is called the search bit for directories.