Changing file timestamps

[GS3]

In Windows I have a little GUI program which allows me to change timestamps of files. I can right-click on a file name and in the context menu I get the option for "Properties Plus" which allows me to set the three dates (created, modified and accessed) as well as all other attributes at will. I find this very useful. Is there anything similar in Linux?

[Sir Charles]

For CL, you might want to check outman touch
Some examples:
https://www.thegeekstuff.com/2012/11/li ... h-command/
https://www.computerhope.com/unix/utouch.htm

[WharfRat]

The only thing I can think of is touch with the -c or --no-create option.

See man touch and info '(coreutils) touch invocation'

[GS3]

Thanks both. I guess "touch" can come in handy for something important enough but it is just too complicated for everyday things I do. I realize hard core Linux users master the command line but I am not there yet and each time I need to do something like that I would need to dig out my notes and it would take me longer than it is worth. I am used to the convenience of GUI.

[trytip]

you'll need a commander like https://sourceforge.net/projects/doublecmd/ extract and run executable doublecmd>show hidden files>file>change attributes

[Mute Ant]

There appear to be four timestamps...
https://blog.fpmurphy.com/2014/06/file- ... -ext4.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext4
...with the newest 'birth' stamp left in limbo until someone decides what it should actually mean. It's not impossible that there is a birth-time set for a file that none of the other GNU tools can show. If you need to be certain the file's old life is forgotten, I suggest you make a genuinely new file...
cat old > new && mv new old

The stat command has useful defaults... stat /bin/true ----->

• File: /bin/true
  Size: 30516
  Blocks: 60
  IO Block: 1024 regular file
  Device: 700h/1792d
  Inode: 148
  Links: 1
  Access: (0755/-rwxr-xr-x)
  Uid: ( 0/ root)
  Gid: ( 0/ root)
  Access: 2017-02-22 12:23:45.000000000 +0000
  Modify: 2017-02-22 12:23:45.000000000 +0000
  Change: 2017-02-22 12:23:45.000000000 +0000
  Birth: -

[GS3]

Very often the reason I want to change a timestamp is that I process a photo and want the resulting file to have a timestamp near the original photo and not later when I did the processing. Also I might make a minor modification in a document but want it to keep the original timestamp.

In windows I just right-click and select the new timestamp I want to set. Anything more complicated is not worth the trouble.

[slipstick]

As trytip said earlier, you can use doublecmd. Highlight the file, click on Files in the Menu bar (or Alt-F), then click on Change Attributes (or press the "a" key) and you get a window that lets you change the timestamp and other attributes.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install doublecmd-gtk

[Flemur]

Very often the reason I want to change a timestamp is that I process a photo and want the resulting file to have a timestamp near the original photo and not later when I did the processing.

https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... f-metadata

The EXIF handling tool exiv2 has a builtin option for this:
exiv2 -T rename image.jpg
sets the time of last file modification, mtime, to the date stored in the EXIF metadata.

[GS3]

The EXIF handling tool exiv2 has a builtin option for this:
exiv2 -T rename image.jpg
sets the time of last file modification, mtime, to the date stored in the EXIF metadata.

Yeah, that's not what I am trying to do.

[GS3]

I installed doublecmd-gtk and it allows me to change the timestamps although it is awkward because I need to start the program, navigate to the file and select it and then in the menu bar go to files - change attributes. It is quite cumbersome compared to what I do in Windows but I guess it will have to do. Thanks for pointing me to it.

[phd21]

Hi GS3,

I installed doublecmd-gtk and it allows me to change the timestamps although it is awkward because I need to start the program, navigate to the file and select it and then in the menu bar go to files - change attributes. It is quite cumbersome compared to what I do in Windows but I guess it will have to do. Thanks for pointing me to it.

Out of curiosity, just exactly step by step did you change those files timestamps in MS Windows that was less "cumbersome" than using a file manager in Linux that has the ability to change file timestamps? Did you not have to bring up MS Windows file manager (explorer), navigate to the file(s) and select it, and then select some option to change the file timestamps?

Once you have selected the file(s) to change their timestamps, there might be a keyboard shortcut or right-click option to go directly to changing the file attributes like timestamps, or you can add one. There may also be file manager add-ons and or "scripts" to perform this function and other functions. Most file managers can also have their right-click menu modified to add functions.

As for photos and images, there are numerous image browsers, image editors, and other applications, that can easily change the file timestamps based on various criteria.

There are renaming applications like the superb "Krename" that can also change file timestamps and or add them to the filename so that the original timestamp is available regardless of other file activities.

You can also change Linux Mint to not update file access times by adding "noatime" to the "fstab" file which is highly recommended for anyone using SSDrives.

Hope this helps ...
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KDE_Dolphin_FileManager_Timestamp1.jpg

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KDE_Dolphin_FileManager_Timestamp2.jpg

[GS3]

Out of curiosity, just exactly step by step did you change those files timestamps in MS Windows that was less "cumbersome" than using a file manager in Linux that has the ability to change file timestamps? Did you not have to bring up MS Windows file manager (explorer), navigate to the file(s) and select it, and then select some option to change the file timestamps?

Nope. Right click on file, select properties and the dialogue window pops up which allows changing attributes, timestamps, etc.

[phd21]

Hi GS3,

That is not an accurate reply.

How did you right click the file and from where? Obviously, you first had to bring up up some form of file browser (file manager), clicked My Computer, etc... to locate the file(s) before you could right-click it right?

You can do a lot in Linux Mint and the various applications, you just do not know how to do it yet.

Let's use the Double Commander file manager as an example. You can already click "File" ->" Change attributes". There are two easy to implement options for changing or viewing file attributes like timestamps.

1.) Add a new toolbar button for going directly to Change Attributes including Timestamps. 3 steps: Bring up Double commander, click file(s), click toolbar button.

2.) Add a new Keyboard shortcut for going directly to Change Attributes including Timestamps. 3 steps: Bring up Double commander, click file(s), click hotkey.

Hope this helps ...
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DoubleCommander2.jpg

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DoubleCommander3.jpg

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DoubleCommander1.jpg

[GS3]

What I can do in Windows and would like to be able to do in Linux but have not been able so far to do in Linux is clearly stated in the OP.

[trytip]

even in windows you had to install it right? i remember i installed a lot of small programs that added extensions in file properties one of them was jpeg info or video stats or md5 checksums.
you're tight that it should be easier to do this in linux, and it's a shame touch is the only thing linux offers. if you had to change 1000 files with commandline and touch it would take quite long. i don't mind command line when it's one or two words but in complex commands that include punctuation an other characters it is easy to get lost

i never really used doublecommander, but i did use total commander in windows very often had it integrated into my context menu to easily open and that's where i found the change attributes ability

linux is advance enough to add this to properties but i'm no expert. in the likes of total commander alternates for linux are tuxcommander,gnome-commander,double commander but not all of them have same options