[comp.unix.questions] Last-modify time on directories containing modified files

paul@vixie.UUCP (Paul Vixie Esq) (06/19/87)

It seems that modifying a file makes the last-modified time on the file's
directory change as well.  This is a little bit odd, since the directory
doesn't have to change unless the file's INODE changes, and I don't think
that's happening.  I may not be testing this properly...

Please, no arguments about whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. 
What I want to know is: is it standard behaviour?  Can I depend on this
occuring on all UNIX systems, all BSD systems, some BSD systems, or what?

I'm writing a Makefile to handle the rebuilding of my pathalias database.
Rather than dynamically rebuild the Makefile to contain an explicit list
of dependencies (the map files), I thought I'd just have the database
depend on the directory containing the map files.  It seems to work, here.
My system is more or less 4.2 BSD (it's a Symmetric 375).

Please reply by mail if this is an old and often-rehashed topic.

Thanks,
-- 
Paul A Vixie Esq
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