Hosting Operations

List Newest Source Files Before Backup

You need a timestamp-sorted view of source files before comparing backups.

Command

find source -type f -printf '%TY-%Tm-%Td %TH:%TM %p\n' | sort

What changed

Nothing changes. The command reads file timestamps and paths.

Danger

safe

When to use it

Use before backup checks or when you need to understand recent source changes.

When not to use it

Do not use it as proof that backup contents match; pair it with checksums or rsync dry runs.

Undo or recovery

No undo needed because this command is read-only.

Expected output

A sorted list of source files with modification timestamps.

demo script

Disposable terminal steps

find source -type f -print | sort
find source -type f -printf '%TY-%Tm-%Td %TH:%TM %p\n' | sort

Terminal transcript Demo JSON

simulated output

What it looks like

disposable vessel

::fixture-ready::
$ find source -type f -print | sort
source/app/config.yml
source/assets/logo.svg
source/content/about.md
source/content/index.md
::exit-code::0
$ find source -type f -printf '%TY-%Tm-%Td %TH:%TM %p\n' | sort
2026-06-25 12:10 source/content/index.md
2026-06-25 13:19 source/app/config.yml
2026-06-25 13:19 source/assets/logo.svg
2026-06-25 13:19 source/content/about.md
::exit-code::0

YouTube Short

See newest source files.

Before checking a backup, print source file timestamps so recent changes stand out.

experiments

A/B tests to run

Metric: completion_rate

A: Newest files first.

B: Know what changed before backup.