Linux touch Command with Practical Examples

Introduction

In this lab, we will explore the Linux touch command and its practical applications. The touch command is a versatile tool used to create new files or update the timestamps of existing files. We will start by understanding the purpose and syntax of the touch command, then learn how to create new files using it, and finally, explore how to modify file timestamps.

The lab covers the following steps:

1. Understand the Purpose and Syntax of the touch Command
2. Create New Files Using the touch Command
3. Modify File Timestamps with the touch Command

The content of this lab is focused on the basic file and directory operations in Linux, providing practical examples and step-by-step guidance to help users become proficient in managing files and directories using the touch command.

Linux Commands Cheat Sheet

Skills Graph

Understand the Purpose and Syntax of the touch Command

In this step, we will explore the purpose and syntax of the touch command in Linux. The touch command is a versatile tool used to create new files or update the timestamps of existing files.

The basic syntax of the touch command is:

touch [options] [file_name(s)]

Here are some common options used with the touch command:

• -a: Updates the access time of the file.
• -m: Updates the modification time of the file.
• -d or -t: Sets the access and modification times to the specified date and time.
• -c or -f: Creates the file if it doesn't exist, without issuing an error message.

Let's start by creating a new file using the touch command:

cd ~/project
touch new_file.txt

Example output:

The touch command created a new file named new_file.txt in the ~/project directory.

Next, let's update the modification time of the file:

touch -m new_file.txt

Example output:

The touch -m command updated the modification time of the new_file.txt file.

Create New Files Using the touch Command

In this step, we will learn how to create new files using the touch command in various ways.

First, let's create a single file:

cd ~/project
touch new_file.txt

Example output:

The touch new_file.txt command created a new file named new_file.txt in the ~/project directory.

Next, let's create multiple files at once:

touch file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

Example output:

The touch file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt command created three new files: file1.txt, file2.txt, and file3.txt in the ~/project directory.

You can also use wildcards to create multiple files with a similar naming pattern:

touch *.md

Example output:

This touch *.md command created all the files with the .md extension in the ~/project directory.

Modify File Timestamps with the touch Command

In this step, we will learn how to modify the access and modification timestamps of files using the touch command.

First, let's create a new file:

cd ~/project
touch existing_file.txt

Now, let's update the access time of the file:

touch -a existing_file.txt

Example output:

The touch -a command updated the access time of the existing_file.txt file.

Next, let's update the modification time of the file:

touch -m existing_file.txt

Example output:

The touch -m command updated the modification time of the existing_file.txt file.

You can also set the access and modification times to a specific date and time using the -d or -t options:

touch -d "2023-04-01 10:30:00" existing_file.txt

Example output:

The touch -d "2023-04-01 10:30:00" command set the access and modification times of the existing_file.txt file to April 1, 2023, at 10:30 AM.

Summary

In this lab, we learned the purpose and syntax of the touch command in Linux, including common options such as -a to update access time, -m to update modification time, and -d or -t to set specific access and modification times. We also practiced creating new files using the touch command, both individually and in batches, as well as using wildcards to create multiple files with a similar naming pattern. Finally, we explored how to modify file timestamps with the touch command.

Linux Commands Cheat Sheet