linux-kernel - Suggestion: xtime as new inode attribute

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Message-ID: <4B292D9A.5060501@poelzi.org>
Date:	Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:57:30 +0100
From:	Daniel Poelzleithner <poelzi@...lzi.org>
To:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Suggestion: xtime as new inode attribute

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Hi,

I would like to suggest a new attribute for inodes in linux filesystems
to record the last execution time of files.

The problem:

If a linux installation gets older and older, more and more programs get
installed over time. Mostly to just test them for a particular problem
and often the deinstallation is forgotten. To find out which packages
are not used for a long time is currently quite impossible. The user may
use program X which will run but not depend on program Y as a subprocess
for example.

The solution:

I suggest a new inode attribute called xtime, which is like atime, but
will only be updated when a file is executed. This would allow tracking
of unused binaries and could be used with some clever algorithms in the
cleanup program to find unused packages for removal or other cleanup
purposes.
It would also add an additional information in forensic analysis of
hacked systems btw.

Please CC me, I'm not on the list.

kindly regards
 Daniel Poelzleithner
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