cmtime - Linux

Overview

cmtime is a versatile command line tool used to manipulate creation, modification, and access times of files and directories. It empowers users to customize timestamp metadata associated with the file system to meet specific organizational or workflow requirements.

Syntax

cmtime [-f|--file] <path> <timestamp>
cmtime [-d|--directory] <path> <timestamp>
cmtime [-c|--create] <path>
cmtime [-m|--modify] <path>
cmtime [-a|--access] <path>

Options/Flags

-f, –file: Specify a file to modify its timestamp.
-d, –directory: Specify a directory to modify its timestamp.
-c, –create: Set creation time of a file or directory to the current time.
-m, –modify: Set modification time of a file or directory to the current time.
-a, –access: Set access time of a file or directory to the current time.

Examples

Change the creation time of a file: cmtime -f example.txt 1664082000
Modify the modification time of a directory: cmtime -d /path/to/directory 1664082000
Set the access time of a file or directory to the current time: cmtime -a example.txt

Common Issues

Incorrect timestamp format: Timestamps should be in the format of Unix timestamps (number of seconds since the Unix epoch).
Invalid file permissions: Ensure you have write permissions for the file or directory you want to modify.
Non-existent file: cmtime cannot modify the timestamp of a file or directory that does not exist.

Integration

cmtime can be integrated with other commands to automate timestamp manipulation tasks:

With find: find . -name example.txt | xargs cmtime -c (change the creation time of all files matching example.txt)
With shell scripting: “`sh
for file in $(ls); do
cmtime -m "$file"
done

Related Commands

touch: Create or modify files with specified timestamps
stat: Display file and directory attributes, including timestamps
ls -la: List file and directory information, including timestamps

For more information: cmtime man page