How to Preserve File Timestamps with Rsync on Linux

Question: After copying files, timestamps changed. How do I preserve them?

Try: rsync -a --preserve-times /source/ /destination/

Info: rsync -a (archive mode) preserves modification timestamps (-t), permissions, ownership, and symbolic links. Adding --preserve-times explicitly ensures file modification times remain unchanged during the transfer.

Examples:

• $ cp --preserve=timestamps file1 file2  # Preserve timestamps with standard copy
• $ touch -r reference_file target_file  # Copy timestamps from a reference file
• $ find . -exec touch -r /reference {} +  # Sync directory timestamps in bulk

Note: -a is shorthand for -rlptgoD, so it already includes timestamp preservation through -t. Preserving modification timestamps is useful for build tools like make, incremental backups, and forensic auditing.