---
layout: page
category-page: fs
category-title: FileSystem
tags: directory list remove delete erase
author: Mattia Hijman
title: Touch
previous-page: pages/fs/rm.html
---

<pre>
touch [-A [-][[hh]mm]SS] [-acfhm] [-r file] [-t [[CC]YY]MMDDhhmm[.SS]]
           file ...
</pre>


The touch utility sets the modification and access times of files.  If any file does not exist, it is created with default permissions.<br>
By default, touch changes both modification and access times.  The -a and -m flags may be used to select the access time or the modification time individually.  Selecting both is equivalent to the default.  By default, the timestamps are set to the current time.  The -t flag explicitly specifies a different time, and the -r flag specifies to set the times those of the specified file.
The -A flag adjusts the values by a specified amount.<br>
The following options are available:<br>
<ul>
  <li> <b>-A</b>

Adjust the access and modification time stamps for the file by the specified value.  This flag is intended for use in modifying files with incorrectly set time stamps.

             The -A flag implies the -c flag: if any file specified does not
             exist, it will be silently ignored.</li>

     <li> <b>-a</b>      Change the access time of the file.  The modification time of the
             file is not changed unless the -m flag is also specified.</li>

     <li> <b>-c</b>     Do not create the file if it does not exist.  The touch utility
             does not treat this as an error.  No error messages are displayed
             and the exit value is not affected.</li>

     <li> <b>-f</b>      Attempt to force the update, even if the file permissions do not
             currently permit it.</li>

     <li> <b>-h</b>      If the file is a symbolic link, change the times of the link
             itself rather than the file that the link points to.  Note that
             -h implies -c and thus will not create any new files.</li>

     <li> <b>-m</b>      Change the modification time of the file.  The access time of the
             file is not changed unless the -a flag is also specified.</li>

     <li> <b>-r</b>      Use the access and modifications times from the specified file
             instead of the current time of day.</li>

     <li> <b>-t</b>      Change the access and modification times to the specified time
             instead of the current time of day.</li>