How to change file timestamps?

To change file timestamps in Linux, you can use the touch command. Here are the methods to change the access time (atime) and modification time (mtime):

Change Both Access and Modification Times

To update both timestamps to the current time:

touch filename.txt

Change to a Specific Timestamp

To set a specific timestamp, use the -t option with the format [[CC]YY]MMDDhhmm[.ss]. For example, to set the timestamp to March 15, 2023, at 10:30 AM:

touch -t 202303151030 filename.txt

Change Access Time Only

To change only the access time, use the -a option:

touch -a -d "2023-03-15 10:30" filename.txt

Change Modification Time Only

To change only the modification time, use the -m option:

touch -m -d "2023-03-15 10:30" filename.txt

Change Timestamps Using -d Option

You can also use the -d option for a more human-readable format:

touch -d "2023-03-15 10:30" filename.txt

These commands allow you to modify the timestamps of files as needed.