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touch

summary

    This subchapter looks at touch, a UNIX (and Linux) command.

    Use touch to change the date stamp on a file.

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touch

    This subchapter looks at touch, a UNIX (and Linux) command.

    Use touch to change the date stamp on a file.

    The most common use of touch is to force make to recompile a particular file (or group of files).

how to use

    The simple form of touch changes a named file’s timestamp to the current date and time:

$ touch filename

multiple files

    Use touch to change all of the files in a directory:

$ touch *

specific time

    You can use touch to set a specific time by using the -t option. The following command sets a file to the Solstice at the end of the Mayan calendar (11:12 a.m. December 21, 2012):

$ touch -t201212211112.00 filename

    The following command sets a file to the noon on January 1, 2012:

$ touch -t201201011200.00 filename

    The format is YYYYMMDDhhmm.ss, YYYY = four digit year, MM - two digit month, DD = two digit day, hh = two digit hour (24 hour clock), mm = two digit month, and ss = two digit second.

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