Hello,
I want to extract the file creation time. How to get it. I am using fedora core 4.
Can anybody help...

The Linux file systems do not record the file creation time.

Although you can't get the time the file was created with 100% accuracy, you can get information on the last time the file was accessed, modified (contents of the file changed), or changed (attributes of the file changed) with the stat command (run "man stat" to see how to use the command). If the file hasn't been modified or changed since it was created, then those times will be the creation time. That may be enough to suit your purpose, but just remember, it isn't a surefire way. If you know you never modified the file since it was created, then you can use those times. But, as stress_junkie said, the creation time isn't recorded in Linux filesystems.

HTH

Forrest

p.s. you should really consider upgrading to a supported version of Linux. FC4 isn't supported. If you need something that supports older hardware, there are distros out there that are supported that do. If not, I highly recommend upgrading to Fedora 14.

Read this - the referenced patches are already available.

It should be noted that crtime actually is maintained in ext4 already. Getting the datum out is the problem.

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