From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 13 21:46:25 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 48BD6106564A for ; Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:46:25 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dteske@vicor.com) Received: from postoffice.vicor.com (postoffice.vicor.com [69.26.56.53]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 30F4E8FC15 for ; Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:46:24 +0000 (UTC) Received: from [208.206.78.30] (port=50324 helo=dt.vicor.com) by postoffice.vicor.com with esmtpsa (SSLv3:RC4-MD5:128) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1PdUzu-0001ez-LY; Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:46:24 -0800 From: Devin Teske To: Chip Camden In-Reply-To: <20110113210319.GD3646@libertas.local.camdensoftware.com> References: <4D2F606D.6090407@gmail.com> <20110113204525.GB3646@libertas.local.camdensoftware.com> <579FC70C-5B5B-43B4-9E71-D765887FAF6F@mac.com> <20110113210319.GD3646@libertas.local.camdensoftware.com> Content-Type: text/plain Organization: Vicor, Inc Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:46:22 -0800 Message-Id: <1294955182.10908.14.camel@localhost.localdomain> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Evolution 2.0.2 (2.0.2-41.el4) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Scan-Signature: 7cf4c75642defd7c23b7bed571bcb7f1 X-Scan-Host: postoffice.vicor.com Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Date of a FreeBSD installation X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:46:25 -0000 On Thu, 2011-01-13 at 13:03 -0800, Chip Camden wrote: > Quoth Chuck Swiger on Thursday, 13 January 2011: > > On Jan 13, 2011, at 12:45 PM, Chip Camden wrote: > > > On my system, /etc/termcap has the date well after my installation > > > (Jun 28 2010) and /etc/rmt dates to well before (Nov 21 2009). I first > > > installed FreeBSD on this system on Apr 1 2010. > > > > Certainly the target of the link would change; my /etc/termcap points to: > > > > -r--r--r-- 1 root wheel 206901 Dec 14 21:03 /usr/share/misc/termcap > > > > This particular box I'm looking at had been updated from FreeBSD-4.x through 7-STABLE, so a 2001 timestamp for the original installs seems about right. > > > > I wonder, are you folks using something other than UFS for / filesystem...perhaps ZFS or whatever handles the dates on symlinks differently? > > > > Regards, > > -- > > -Chuck > > I'm all UFS. My first installation was 8.0-RELEASE. At that time, I > don't think termcap was even a symlink, but I could be mistaken. > > I'm looking at the date on the symlink itself, not its target. This is nearly always accurate on any FreeBSD system (when wanting to query the date the machine was built): ls -l /etc/defaults/rc.conf But again... not always. Though for all situations where the answer is _NOT_ the correct answer... there's usually a damned-good explanation why (the machine was rsync'd etc.), in which case I still consider the date returned to be accurate (for any time /etc/defaults/rc.conf -- or perhaps even better... /etc/rc -- is touched, I'd consider the system to be "rebuilt" since those files should be somewhat "golden" on a system -- read: never touched except during system upgrade or rsync etc.). -- Cheers, Devin Teske -> CONTACT INFORMATION <- Business Solutions Consultant II FIS - fisglobal.com 510-735-5650 Mobile 510-621-2038 Office 510-621-2020 Office Fax 909-477-4578 Home/Fax devin.teske@fisglobal.com -> LEGAL DISCLAIMER <- This message contains confidential and proprietary information of the sender, and is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any use, distribution, copying or disclosure by any other person is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the e-mail sender immediately, and delete the original message without making a copy. -> END TRANSMISSION <-