Unsure why access time on a directory change isn't changing Post: 303037890

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Top Forums UNIX for Beginners Questions & Answers Unsure why access time on a directory change isn't changing Post 303037890 by hicksd8 on Thursday 15th of August 2019 05:12:14 PM

08-15-2019

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You didn't say which operating system this is but there has to be difference between read and open. If you think about it, if a read updated the access time then all the access times would change when a backup is run which wouldn't be any good if you had to restore the whole lot. However, if an application opens a file then that will update the access time. For example, if you open a file with vi and then immediately quit with :q!, the access time should update because the file has been specifically opened. Additionally, if youvi followed by :w! (even if you haven't changed anything) the file will be written back so the modified date should change.

Now with a directory it is holding the details of its files so if a new file is created the directory is modified. Also, if an application specifically opens a file with that directory in its pathname (and blocks may need to be allocated/deallocated to the file), then the access time should change.

You should be able to verify this on your operating system with a few tests.

Last edited by hicksd8; 08-16-2019 at 05:20 AM..

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utimes

utimes(2)							System Calls Manual							 utimes(2)

NAME

       utimes - set file access and modification times

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

       The  function  sets  the  access and modification times of the file pointed to by the path argument to the value of the times argument. The
       function allows time specifications accurate to the microsecond.

       For the times argument is an array of structures. The first array member represents the date and time of last access, and the second   mem-
       ber   represents  the  date  and  time of last modification.  The times in the structure are measured in seconds and microseconds since the
       Epoch, although rounding toward the nearest second may occur.

       If the times argument is a null pointer, the access and	modification times of the file are set to the current time. The effective user	ID
       of  the process must be the same as the owner of the file, or must have write access to the file or appropriate privileges to use this call
       in this manner. Upon completion, will mark the time of the last file status change, st_ctime, for update.

RETURN VALUE

       Upon successful completion, 0 is returned. Otherwise, -1 is returned and is set to indicate the error, and  the	file  times  will  not	be
       affected.

ERRORS

       The utimes() function will fail if:

	      Search permission is denied by a component of the
				     path  prefix; or the times argument is a null pointer and the effective user ID of the process does not match
				     the owner of the file and write access is denied.

	      Too many symbolic links were encountered in resolving path.

	      The length of the      path argument exceeds or a pathname component is longer than

	      A component of	     path does not name an existing file or path is an empty string.

	      A component of the     path prefix is not a directory.

	      The		     times argument is not a null pointer and the calling process' effective user ID has write access to the  file
				     but does not match the owner of the file and the calling process does not have the appropriate privileges.

	      The file system containing the file is read-only.

       The function may fail if:

	      Pathname resolution of a symbolic link produced an intermediate result
				     whose length exceeds

SEE ALSO

       <sys/time.h>.

CHANGE HISTORY

       First released in Issue 4, Version 2.

																	 utimes(2)