Published on

Today I Learnt: Create an empty file with touch

Authors
  • Mehdi Akiki avatar
    Name
    Mehdi Akiki
    Twitter

Create an empty file or update the mtime:

touch file.txt

Tip: use touch -c to avoid creating the file if it doesn't exist.

title: "Create an empty file (touch)" date: "2025-09-16" tags: ["bash","til"] draft: false summary: "Use touch to create files or update timestamps; redirection also creates files."

Create an empty file:

touch file.txt
> newfile.txt  # create via redirection

Placeholder: more notes and alternatives.

I build and scale reliable production systems. Open to full-time and freelance work with U.S.-based teams that value ownership and execution.

Got something in mind?

Book a Discovery Call