[comp.sys.sgi] Funny dates on system files

shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter S. Shenkin) (12/25/90)

This is another chapter in the saga of figuring out how to do backups
efficiently on my PI.

I find that many, many (2061, to be precise) system-supplied files have dates 
of Jul 25, 2032.  This includes lots of stuff in /usr/lib, in /usr/catman,
in /usr/NeWS, /usr/etc, /usr/include, and in /dev.  Obviously, this makes it
inconvenient to use 'bru -n' to back up files more recent than, let's say,
last week.

Does anyone know why these odd dates exist?  Will anything dire happen if
I touch these files to change the dates to something old -- like 
Oct 17, 1917, or Jul 14, 1789, for instance?  

	-P.
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Peter S. Shenkin, Department of Chemistry, Barnard College, New York, NY  10027
(212)854-1418  shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu(Internet)  shenkin@cunixf(Bitnet)
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