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2.5.1 Age Ranges

These tests are mainly useful with ranges (‘+n’ and ‘-n’).

Test: -atime n
Test: -ctime n
Test: -mtime n

True if the file was last accessed (or its status changed, or it was modified) n*24 hours ago. The number of 24-hour periods since the file’s timestamp is always rounded down; therefore 0 means “less than 24 hours ago”, 1 means “between 24 and 48 hours ago”, and so forth. Fractional values are supported but this only really makes sense for the case where ranges (‘+n’ and ‘-n’) are used.

Test: -amin n
Test: -cmin n
Test: -mmin n

True if the file was last accessed (or its status changed, or it was modified) n minutes ago. These tests provide finer granularity of measurement than ‘-atime’ et al., but rounding is done in a similar way (again, fractions are supported). For example, to list files in /u/bill that were last read from 2 to 6 minutes ago:

find /u/bill -amin +2 -amin -6
Option: -daystart

Measure times from the beginning of today rather than from 24 hours ago. So, to list the regular files in your home directory that were modified yesterday, do

find ~/ -daystart -type f -mtime 1

The ‘-daystart’ option is unlike most other options in that it has an effect on the way that other tests are performed. The affected tests are ‘-amin’, ‘-cmin’, ‘-mmin’, ‘-atime’, ‘-ctime’ and ‘-mtime’. The ‘-daystart’ option only affects the behaviour of any tests which appear after it on the command line.


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