How do you set permissions on a script to allow execution?

The appropriate way to set execution permissions on a script is through the command that adds execute permissions for the user (owner) of that script. The command chmod u+x script.sh specifically grants the owner of the file the permission to execute the script.

The u in the command stands for "user," indicating that the change in permissions applies to the owner of the file, while the +x adds execute permissions. This action is essential when you want to allow the owner of the script to run it as a program.

The other choices do not accomplish the goal of setting execution permissions correctly. For instance, while chmod a+x script.sh does set execution permissions, it applies to all user classes: the owner, group, and others. However, the question specifically mentions "allow execution," which the provided answer captures more narrowly for the owner only. The option that uses chown is incorrect because it is used for changing the ownership of files, not permissions. Lastly, setperm is not a valid command in UNIX-like systems, making it an unsuitable choice for this task.