18 Practical Examples of the Linux Touch Command

The touch command in Linux is primarily used to create empty files or update the timestamps (access and modification times) of existing files. It’s a versatile tool for managing files in scripts, workflows, or system administration tasks.

If the specified file doesn’t exist, touch creates it as an empty file. If the file already exists, touch updates its timestamps to the current time (or a specified time) without altering its content. This makes it useful for creating placeholder files, refreshing timestamps, or ensuring files are up-to-date in automated processes.

The command is simple yet powerful, offering options to control timestamps, avoid file creation, and handle special cases like symbolic links.

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Practical Use Cases for the Touch Command

• Refreshing file timestamps to prevent automatic deletion by cleanup scripts
• Creating empty placeholder files as part of application deployment
• Testing file permissions by attempting to touch files in different directories
• Triggering file watchers in development environments
• Initializing log files before an application starts
• Creating empty files as flags/markers for scripts and automation

Create a Single File

touch file.txt

Creates an empty file.txt if it doesn’t exist. If it does, updates its timestamp.

Create Multiple Files

touch file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

Creates three empty files or updates existing ones.

Update Timestamps Without Modifying Content

touch existing_file.txt

Updates the access and modification times of existing_file.txt to the current time.

Set a Specific Timestamp

touch -t 202410231030.00 file.txt

Sets the timestamp to October 23, 2024, 10:30:00 (format: [[CC]YY]MMDDhhmm[.ss]).

Update Only Access Time

touch -a file.txt

Updates the access time (leaves the modification time unchanged).

Update Only Modification Time

touch -m file.txt

Updates the modification time (leaves the access time unchanged).

Create a Hidden File

touch .hiddenfile

Creates a hidden file (starts with .).

Avoid Creating New Files

touch -c non_existing_file.txt

• -c (no-create) updates timestamps only if the file exists.
• Does not create non_existing_file.txt if missing.

Sync Timestamps with Another File

touch -r reference_file.txt target_file.txt

Copies the timestamp from reference_file.txt to target_file.txt.

Set Timestamp Using a String

touch -d "2023-01-15 08:30:00" file.txt

Sets the timestamp to a human-readable date/time.

Create Files with Spaces/Special Characters

touch "my report.txt"   # Quotes for spaces
touch file\ name.txt    # Backslash to escape spaces
touch 'file$name.txt'   # Quotes for special characters

Create a Directory of Files

touch dir/{file1,file2,file3}.txt

Creates file1.txt, file2.txt, and file3.txt inside dir/.

Bulk Create Sequentially Named Files

touch file-{1..10}.txt

Creates file-1.txt through file-10.txt.

Update Symbolic Link Timestamps

touch -h symlink

• -h updates the symlink’s timestamp, not the target file’s.

Force Timestamp in the Past

touch -d "2 days ago" file.txt

Sets the timestamp to 48 hours ago.

Use in Scripts to Create Placeholder Files

touch /tmp/process.lock

Creates a lock file to indicate a running process.

Create Empty Log Files with Dates

touch "log_$(date +%F).txt"

Creates log_2023-10-23.txt (uses the current date).

Reset All Timestamps to Current Time

touch -am file.txt

• -a updates access time.
• -m updates modification time.
• Together, they reset both timestamps to “now.”

Key Notes:

• Timestamps: Use stat file.txt to verify access/modification times.
• Permissions: Requires write access to update timestamps of existing files.
• Safety: touch does not modify file content (only metadata).

The touch command is indispensable for scripting, logging, and file management. 🐧