Linux and Unix systems typically track 3 timestamps in file inodes: atime, ctime, and mtime. The "a" in atime means access. The "m" in mtime means modify. What does the "c" in ctime mean?

Linux and Unix systems typically track 3 timestamps in file inodes: atime, ctime, and mtime. The "a" in atime means access. The "m" in mtime means modify. What does the "c" in ctime mean?

• cache
• create
•  change
• copy-on-write 

 

EXPLANATION

"c" in ctime means change.  Specifically, a change to the inode's status, eg, permissions, ownership, link count, file size, etc.
http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/inode.7.html
"Last status change timestamp (ctime) stat.st_ctime; statx.stx_ctime"

http://www.linux-mag.com/id/8658/
"Timestamps telling when the inode itself was last change (ctime, changing time), the file content was last modified (mtime or modification time), and when the file was last accessed (atime or access time)"

SOURCE

http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/inode.7.html