Switch SELinux into permissive mode briefly to observe denials without blocking execution and speed up troubleshooting. 16.11.2025 | reading time: 2 min Facing mysterious permission failures under SELinux? Switch to permissive mode temporarily so the administrator can see logged denials while services continue to run; this article shows how and what to watch. Live Troubleshoot Demo Try this quick session on a system with SELinux enabled: ```bash $ getenforce Enforcing $ sudo setenforce 0 $ getenforce Permissive ``` This change is immediate and lasts until reboot or until you run `sudo setenforce 1` to return to enforcing. What to watch Permissive mode does not stop access; it logs the would-be denials to the audit subsystem, so check `/var/log/audit/audit.log` or use `ausearch` to collect AVC messages; do not leave a production host in permissive mode — use it only to gather evidence and then create targeted policy. Related tools in the workflow Use `ausearch` or `journalctl -t setroubleshoot` to find AVC messages, feed those into `audit2allow` to propose policy, and verify mode with `sestatus`; on systems without setenforce support the kernel may have SELinux disabled at boot, so check `/etc/selinux/config` for persistence. Next Steps After collecting logs and crafting rules, apply minimal persistent changes with `semanage` or by editing `/etc/selinux/config` and reboot; continue learning about Mandatory Access Control and consider exam-focused training like CompTIA Linux+ or LPIC-1 with intensive preparation at bitsandbytes.academy to deepen practical skills. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. security troubleshooting utilities
