TMPWATCH linux command manual

TMPWATCH(8)          System Administrator's Manual             TMPWATCH(8)



NAME
       tmpwatch  -  removes files which haven't been accessed for a period of
       time

SYNOPSIS
       tmpwatch [-u|-m|-c] [-faqstv] [--verbose] [--force] [--all] [--test]
                      [--fuser ] [--atime|--mtime|--ctime] [--quiet]  
       


DESCRIPTION
       tmpwatch  recursively  removes files which haven't been accessed for a
       given number of hours. Normally, it's used  to  clean  up  directories
       which are used for temporary holding space such as /tmp.

       When changing directories, tmpwatch is very sensitive to possible race
       conditions and will exit with an error if one is detected. It does not
       follow symbolic links in the directories it's cleaning (even if a sym-
       bolic link is given as its argument), will not switch filesystems,
        and only removes empty directories and regular files.

       By default, tmpwatch dates files by their  atime  (access  time),  not
       their mtime (modification time). If files aren't being removed when ls
       -l implies they should be, use ls -u to examine their atime to see  if
       that explains the problem.

       If  the  --atime,  --ctime or --mtime options are used in combination,
       the decision about deleting a file will be based  on  the  maximum  of
       these times.

       The  hours  parameter defines the threshold for removing files. If the
       file has not been accessed for hours hours, the file is removed.  Fol-
       lowing  this,  one  or  more  directories may be given for tmpwatch to
       clean up.



OPTIONS
       -u, --atime
              Make the decision about deleting a file  based  on  the  file's
              atime (access time). This is the default.



       -m, --mtime
              Make  the  decision  about  deleting a file based on the file's
              mtime (modification time) instead of the atime.


       -c, --ctime
              Make the decision about deleting a file  based  on  the  file's
              ctime  (inode  change  time) instead of the atime; for directo-
              ries, make the decision based on the mtime.


       -a, --all
              Remove all file types, not just regular files and  directories.


       -d, --nodirs
              Do not attempt to remove directories, even if they are empty.


       -f, --force
              Remove files even if root doesn't have write access (akin to rm
              -f).


       -t, --test
              Doesn't remove files, but goes through the motions of  removing
              them. This implies -v.


       -s, --fuser
              Attempt  to use the "fuser" command to see if a file is already
              open before removing it.  Not enabled by default.    Does  help
              in  some  circumstances, but not all.  Dependent on fuser being
              installed in /sbin.  Not supported on HP-UX or Solaris.


       -v, --verbose
              Print a verbose display. Two levels of verboseness  are  avail-
              able -- use this option twice to get the most verbose output.


SEE ALSO
       cron(1), ls(1), rm(1), fuser(1)


WARNINGS
       GNU-style long options are not supported on HP-UX.


AUTHORS
       Erik Troan 
       Preston Brown 
       Nalin Dahyabhai 



4th Berkeley Distribution      Wed Nov 28 2001                    TMPWATCH(8)