file's metadata changed this is stat(2) data 32-bit ctime nanosecond fractions this ... stat(2) data 32-bit mtime seconds, the last time a file's data changeddevice IDs returned by a call to stat (2) (or similar). The following shell session ... shows an example from /sys/dev : $ stat -c "%t %T" /dev/null 1 3 $ readlink /sys/dev/char/1show(1) and is used for the --stat output as well. The merge machinery willwhich could otherwise be learned by employing stat (2) on a /proc/ pid directory. Thiswhich could otherwise be learned by employing stat (2) on a /proc/ pid directory. Thisfiles on this filesystem (see stat (2)). (4) root: the pathname of the directory