Category

Linux Command


Usage

touch [OPTION]... FILE...


Manual

Update the access and modification times of each FILE to the current
time.

A FILE argument that does not exist is created empty, unless -c or -h
is supplied.

A FILE argument string of - is handled specially and causes touch to
change the times of the file associated with standard output.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options
too.

-a change only the access time

-c, --no-create
do not create any files

-d, --date=STRING
parse STRING and use it instead of current time

-f (ignored)

-h, --no-dereference
affect each symbolic link instead of any referenced file (useful
only on systems that can change the timestamps of a symlink)

-m change only the modification time

-r, --reference=FILE
use this file’s times instead of current time

-t STAMP
use [[CC]YY]MMDDhhmm[.ss] instead of current time

--time=WORD
change the specified time: WORD is access, atime, or use: equiv-
alent to -a WORD is modify or mtime: equivalent to -m

--help display this help and exit

--version
output version information and exit

Note that the -d and -t options accept different time-date formats.


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