UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

Try

Code:

ls -lt | grep Mar | tail -n+3

this is giving error
usage: tail [+/-[n][lbc][f]] [file]
tail [+/-[n][l][r|f]] [file]

man tail: for tail (GNU coreutils) 8.20
So -n+3 gives you all lines except for the first two... Adapt for your tail version.

Sorry ,

I am using unix solaris 5.8 ksh

Using a small circular buffer, files from multiple months (and years) can be handled in a single pass:

Code:

ls -lrt | awk 'm!=$6 {m=$6; i=0} ++i>2 {print a[i%2]} {a[i%2]=$0}'

Since the date format is locale dependent, you may want any ls-based solution to explicitly set the locale.

I barely tested it, and then only in my locale.

Regards,
Alister

Hi Alister,

Result by your code is partialy correct.

i want files not to disaply of first two file dates & last file date for a month.

Suppose there are 4 files for 1 Apr 2014 date & 4 files 2 Apr 2014 & 2 files 30 Apr 2014 then these all 10 files should not get displayed.

Regards,
Dodmis

Post #1 states that you only want to keep the last two files of each month.

Posts #5 and #7 indicate the inverse: the last two files of each month should be discarded.

Now, with post #13, you present a third permutation which appears to require keeping all files except those whose dates match the first 2 days of the month and the last day of the month.

If you want volunteers to help you freely, the least you can do is present a single, coherent problem statement. Speaking for myself, you're not paying me enough to track this moving target.

Regards,
Alister