F.3 Set File Time

This mode is requested by the --set-time (-t) command line option. In this mode genfile operates similarly to the touch command: for each file listed in the command line, it sets its access and modification times to the current timestamp or to the value given with the --date option. The --date option takes a date specification in an almost arbitrary format as its argument (see Date input formats), e.g.:

genfile --set-time --date='2 days ago' a b c

By default, genfile follows symbolic links and sets times of the file they point to. This can be changed by supplying the --no-dereference (-h) option: if it is given, genfile will change access and modification times of the symbolic link itself. Notice, that not all operating systems allow this.