Linux touch
Command – Create and Modify Files
The touch
command in Linux is used to create new empty files or update the timestamp of an existing file without modifying its content. It's a simple and efficient way to manage files, making it an essential tool for system administrators and users alike.
Syntax of touch
OPTIONS
→ Flags that modify the behavior oftouch
.FILE(s)
→ The name(s) of the file(s) you want to create or modify.
Common Usage of touch
1. Create a New Empty File
To create a new, empty file:
Example:
This will create a new file named myfile.txt in the current directory if it doesn't already exist. If the file exists, its timestamp is updated.
2. Update the Timestamp of an Existing File
If the file already exists, the touch
command updates its access and modification timestamps to the current date and time without altering its content:
Example:
This updates the report.txt file's timestamp.
3. Create Multiple Files
You can create multiple empty files in a single command:
Example:
This will create file1.txt and file2.txt.
4. Set a Specific Timestamp
To set a specific timestamp for a file, use the -t
option followed by the timestamp in the format [[CC]YY]MMDDhhmm[.ss]
(e.g., 202502091200.00
for February 9, 2025, at 12:00:00):
Example:
This sets the timestamp of event.txt to December 31, 2024, at 8:00 AM.
5. Change Only the Access Time (-a
)
If you want to change only the access time (the last time the file was read) without modifying the modification time, use the -a
option:
Example:
This updates the access time of document.txt without modifying its content or modification timestamp.
6. Change Only the Modification Time (-m
)
If you want to update only the modification time (the last time the file was written to) without modifying the access time, use the -m
option:
Example:
This updates the modification time of notes.txt without changing its access timestamp.
7. Use -c
to Avoid Creating New Files
If you want to update the timestamp of an existing file but not create new files if the file doesn't exist, use the -c
option:
Example:
If report.txt doesn't exist, this command won't create the file.
8. Use -h
to Change the Timestamp of Symbolic Links
To change the timestamp of a symbolic link instead of the target file, use the -h
option:
Example:
This will modify the timestamp of link.txt (if it's a symlink), not the target file it points to.
Examples
1. Create a New File
This creates a new empty file named newfile.txt.
2. Update the Timestamp of an Existing File
This updates the access and modification timestamps of existingfile.txt.
3. Create Multiple Files
This creates file1.txt, file2.txt, and file3.txt.
4. Set a Specific Timestamp
This sets the timestamp of file.txt to February 9, 2025, at 12:00 PM.
5. Change Only the Access Time
This updates only the access time of file.txt.
6. Avoid Creating a File
This will not create nonexistingfile.txt if it doesn't exist.
7. Modify the Timestamp of a Symlink
This will modify the timestamp of the symlink symlink.txt without changing the timestamp of the target file.
Error Handling with touch
File Not Found: If the file doesn't exist and you don't specify
-c
,touch
will create the file.Permission Denied: If you do not have sufficient permissions to create or modify the file, you will get a "Permission denied" error:
Conclusion
The touch
command is a simple but powerful tool in Linux for creating files, modifying file timestamps, and managing file metadata. Whether you're updating access times, setting specific timestamps, or avoiding file creation, touch
offers flexible options for a variety of tasks.
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