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From: jfh@killer.UUCP (The Beach Bum)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: How do I set a file's creation date?
Message-ID: <1173@killer.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Jul-87 17:43:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: killer.1173
Posted: Wed Jul 22 17:43:45 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jul-87 03:32:16 EDT
References: <4280@caip.rutgers.edu> <1108@killer.UUCP> <1650@sfsup.UUCP>
Organization: The Unix(tm) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 59
Summary: ha ha ha - not so funny.

In article <1650@sfsup.UUCP>, mpl@sfsup.UUCP (M.P.Lindner) writes:
> In article <1108@killer.UUCP>, jfh@killer.UUCP writes:
> > 
> > I have posted my version of the Version 7 settime(1) command to
> > comp.sources.misc.  Watch for it!
> > 
> > - John.
> 
> :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{)
> I just read it!
> Seriously, have you ever heard of "touch"?  Read section 1 of your UNIX(R)
> manual!
> :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{) :{)

I must remember not to post replies to some of these articles.  There is
always some joker that doesn't know how to think his way out of a paper
bag and posts an assinine follow-up like this one.

Usually has something to do with a one-system view of the world.  Something
like 'my system has this version of tooch, therefore they all do'.  Not
all touch(1)'s are created equally!!!

And yes, I have heard of touch.  I also know of the cases in which touch
cannot be used.

	1).  read-only devices.  opens for writting would be
	disallowed and touch would fail.

	2).  zero length files.  some old versions of touch
	actually read the first byte, rewound the file and
	wrote the first byte right back.

	3).  magnetic tape drives.  opening for writing and
	then closing will cause an eot mark to be written
	very close to the beginning of the tape.

	4).  serial devices.  you can imagine the results here.

	5).  directories.  we all know you can't open a directory
	for writing.

In fact, the only place I could think of touch working was files
that were Regular Files, and had a non-zero length.  FIFO's,
which didn't exist in Version 7 don't count, but then I can't
vouch for Berkeley Unix and what manner of wierdness it has for
files, or how it's touch works this semester.

Oh, and one last little jab while in the area.  Can touch make
two files have the same atime and mtime down to the last second
without having to set them _both_ to a certain time?  No, of course
not.  I didn't think so.

- John.
---
-- 
John F. Haugh II		HECI Exploration Co. Inc.
UUCP:	...!ihnp4!killer!jfh	11910 Greenville Ave, Suite 600
"Don't Have an Oil Well?"	Dallas, TX. 75243
" ... Then Buy One!"		(214) 231-0993