Atime, Mtime, CTime

Linux system files have three main time attributes, CTime (change times, instead of Create,), Atime (Access Time), Mtime (Modify). Later in order to solve the atime performance problem, also introduced a Relatime attribute, the following one by one explanation.

CTime, many friends interpret it as create time, including many misleading books. In fact, CTime refers to change time.

Mtime, is modify time.

The difference between Mtime and CTime is that only if the contents of the file are modified, the mtime of the file will be updated, and the renaming of the file and the owner of the modified file will only update the CTime.

Example: MV operation of the file, mtime unchanged, CTime Update, edit the contents of the file, Mtime and CTime simultaneously modified. The effect of other operations can be tested by yourself. But I found that the touch operation of the file, will also modify the Mtime and CTime, so the specific modification of which time, also depends on the implementation of the different commands themselves;

Atime, this is updated every time you view the contents of a file. such as cat operations, and LS operations are not updated.

You can use stat to see properties such as the mtime,ctime,atime of a file, or you can view it through the LS command, as follows:

LS-LC filename Lists the CTime of the file

Ls-lu filename Lists the atime of the file

ls-l filename Lists the mtime of the file

Atime, Mtime, CTime