Find files in created between a date range

Question

I use AIX via telnet here at work, and I\'d like to know how to find files in a specific folder between a date range. For example: I want to find all files in folder X that were

Answer 1

Script oldfiles

I've tried to answer this question in a more complete way, and I ended up creating a complete script with options to help you understand the find command.

The script oldfiles is in this repository

To "create" a new find command you run it with the option -n (dry-run), and it will print to you the correct find command you need to use.

Of course, if you omit the -n it will just run, no need to retype the find command.

Usage:

$ oldfiles [-v...] ([-h|-V|-n] | {[(-a|-u) | (-m|-t) | -c] (-i | -d | -o| -y | -g) N (-\> | -\< | -\=) [-p "pat"]})

• Where the options are classified in the following groups:
  • Help & Info:

    -h, --help : Show this help.
    -V, --version : Show version.
    -v, --verbose : Turn verbose mode on (cumulative).
    -n, --dry-run : Do not run, just explain how to create a "find" command

  • Time type (access/use, modification time or changed status):

    -a or -u : access (use) time
    -m or -t : modification time (default)
    -c : inode status change

  • Time range (where N is a positive integer):

    -i N : minutes (default, with N equal 1 min)
    -d N : days
    -o N : months
    -y N : years
    -g N : N is a DATE (example: "2017-07-06 22:17:15")

  • Tests:

    -p "pat" : optional pattern to match (example: -p "*.c" to find c files) (default -p "*")
    -\> : file is newer than given range, ie, time modified after it.
    -\< : file is older than given range, ie, time is from before it. (default)
    -\= : file that is exactly N (min, day, month, year) old.

Example:

• Find C source files newer than 10 minutes (access time) (with verbosity 3):

$ oldfiles -a -i 10 -p"*.c" -\> -nvvv Starting oldfiles script, by beco, version 20170706.202054... $ oldfiles -vvv -a -i 10 -p "*.c" -\> -n Looking for "*.c" files with (a)ccess time newer than 10 minute(s) find . -name "*.c" -type f -amin -10 -exec ls -ltu --time-style=long-iso {} + Dry-run

• Find H header files older than a month (modification time) (verbosity 2):

$ oldfiles -m -o 1 -p"*.h" -\< -nvv Starting oldfiles script, by beco, version 20170706.202054... $ oldfiles -vv -m -o 1 -p "*.h" -\< -n find . -name "*.h" -type f -mtime +30 -exec ls -lt --time-style=long-iso {} + Dry-run

• Find all (*) files within a single day (Dec, 1, 2016; no verbosity, dry-run):

$ oldfiles -mng "2016-12-01" -\= find . -name "*" -type f -newermt "2016-11-30 23:59:59" ! -newermt "2016-12-01 23:59:59" -exec ls -lt --time-style=long-iso {} +

Of course, removing the -n the program will run the find command itself and save you the trouble.

I hope this helps everyone finally learn this {a,c,t}{time,min} options.

the LS output:

You will also notice that the "ls" option ls OPT changes to match the type of time you choose.

Link for clone/download of the oldfiles script:

https://github.com/drbeco/oldfiles

Answer 2

If you use GNU find, since version 4.3.3 you can do:

find -newerct "1 Aug 2013" ! -newerct "1 Sep 2013" -ls

It will accept any date string accepted by GNU date -d.

You can change the c in -newerct to any of a, B, c, or m for looking at atime/birth/ctime/mtime.

Another example - list files modified between 17:30 and 22:00 on Nov 6 2017:

find -newermt "2017-11-06 17:30:00" ! -newermt "2017-11-06 22:00:00" -ls

Full details from man find:

   -newerXY reference
          Compares the timestamp of the current file with reference.  The reference argument is normally the name of a file (and one of its timestamps  is  used
          for  the  comparison)  but  it may also be a string describing an absolute time.  X and Y are placeholders for other letters, and these letters select
          which time belonging to how reference is used for the comparison.

          a   The access time of the file reference
          B   The birth time of the file reference
          c   The inode status change time of reference
          m   The modification time of the file reference
          t   reference is interpreted directly as a time

          Some combinations are invalid; for example, it is invalid for X to be t.  Some combinations are not implemented on all systems; for example B  is  not
          supported on all systems.  If an invalid or unsupported combination of XY is specified, a fatal error results.  Time specifications are interpreted as
          for the argument to the -d option of GNU date.  If you try to use the birth time of a reference file, and the birth time cannot be determined, a fatal
          error  message  results.   If  you  specify a test which refers to the birth time of files being examined, this test will fail for any files where the
          birth time is unknown.