What does a permissions setting that begins with a '-' signify?

In Linux, the permissions settings at the beginning of a file listing provide important information about the type of file being referenced. When a permissions setting starts with a dash ('-'), this indicates that the item is a regular file.

In a typical output from the ls -l command, the first character will denote the type of file. If it is a dash, this signifies that the file is a conventional file that can contain data, as opposed to a directory or a link.

For instance, if a file listing shows -rw-r--r--, the leading dash confirms that it is a regular file, while if it began with a 'd', it would specify a directory, and if it starts with an 'l', it would indicate a symbolic link. Understanding these distinctions in file types helps users manage files and directories effectively in a Linux environment.