# GNU date

> print or set the system date and time

**Wikidata**: [Q114499981](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114499981)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gnu-date

## Summary
GNU date is a command-line utility that prints or sets the system date and time. It forms part of the GNU Core Utilities package, providing a free software reimplementation of basic Unix-like tools. As free software, it allows users to run, study, change, and distribute it along with modified versions.

## Key Facts
- Primary function: print or set the system date and time
- Aliases: date
- Part of: GNU Core Utilities (package of GNU software with reimplementations of basic tools like cat, ls, and rm for Unix-like operating systems; sitelink_count: 27)
- Instance of: free software (software distributed under terms allowing users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it and modified versions; sitelink_count: 120), utility software
- Maintained by: David MacKenzie (references: revision 1.170 of date.c viewed on 2022-10-08 at https://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/coreutils/coreutils/src/date.c?revision=1.170&view=markup)
- User manual URL: https://manpages.debian.org/sid/coreutils/date.1.en.html (applies to part )
- Copyright status: copyrighted
- Source code repository URLs:
  - https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git/tree/src/date.c (preferred; qualifiers:  ,  cgit)
  - https://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=coreutils.git;a=blob;f=src/date.c;h=ff5c548c0bb12ea214afa039b9b894142aa9bfbf;hb=HEAD (qualifiers:  ,  Gitweb)

## FAQs
**What does GNU date do?**  
It serves as a utility to print the current system date and time or adjust them as needed. This makes it essential for time-related operations in Unix-like environments.

**What package contains GNU date?**  
GNU date is included in GNU Core Utilities, which reimplements fundamental tools such as cat, ls, and rm for Unix-like systems. This package ensures broad compatibility with standard command-line workflows.

**Who maintains GNU date?**  
David MacKenzie handles maintenance, as evidenced by references to coreutils source code revision 1.170 from 2022-10-08. His involvement ties directly to the tool's development in the GNU project.

**Where can I find the user manual and source code for GNU date?**  
The manual is at https://manpages.debian.org/sid/coreutils/date.1.en.html, specific to part . Source code resides in repositories like https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git/tree/src/date.c (cgit) and https://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=coreutils.git;a=blob;f=src/date.c;h=ff5c548c0bb12ea214afa039b9b894142aa9bfbf;hb=HEAD (Gitweb), both linked to .

**Is GNU date free software, and what does that mean?**  
Yes, it qualifies as free software with 120 sitelinks, meaning distribution terms permit users to run, study, change, and share it or its modifications freely. This classification underscores its open development model.

## Why It Matters
GNU date plays a critical role in Unix-like systems by offering a reliable way to query or modify the system clock, which underpins scheduling, logging, and synchronization across countless scripts and applications. As a component of GNU Core Utilities, it ensures that essential time management functions remain accessible under free software principles, empowering users to inspect and alter their environments without proprietary restrictions. This fosters broader ecosystem stability, as developers can study its implementation—evident in publicly accessible repositories—and adapt it, reducing dependency on closed-source alternatives and promoting standardization in open-source computing.

## Notable For
- Integration into GNU Core Utilities, distinguishing it as a core reimplementation for Unix-like basics like cat, ls, and rm.
- Free software status with extensive sitelinks (120), enabling full user freedoms in a utility context.
- Maintenance by David MacKenzie, tied to specific source revisions like 1.170.
- Dual repository access via cgit and Gitweb on Savannah, with precise commit hashes like ff5c548c0bb12ea214afa039b9b894142aa9bfbf.
- Copyrighted yet freely distributable under GNU terms, balancing protection with openness.

## Body
### Core Functionality and Classification
GNU date operates as a utility software tool designed to print or set the system date and time. Its Wikidata description captures this precisely: "print or set the system date and time." Commonly known by its alias "date," it falls under the instance_of categories of free software and utility software. Free software here refers to distribution terms that explicitly allow users to freely run, study, change, and distribute the software along with any modified versions, backed by a sitelink_count of 120.

### Package Membership and Ecosystem Role
GNU date is a contained element within GNU Core Utilities. This parent package bundles GNU software reimplementations for many basic tools used on Unix-like operating systems, including examples like cat, ls, and rm. With a sitelink_count of 27, GNU Core Utilities positions GNU date as integral to standard command-line environments, ensuring time-handling capabilities align with POSIX-like expectations.

### Maintenance and Development
David MacKenzie serves as the maintainer. This is substantiated by references to the source file at https://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/coreutils/coreutils/src/date.c?revision=1.170&view=markup, accessed on 2022-10-08 (: 2022-10-08, : the listed URL). Ongoing development reflects active stewardship within the GNU project.

### Documentation Access
The user manual resides at https://manpages.debian.org/sid/coreutils/date.1.en.html. This resource applies specifically to part , providing detailed usage instructions for printing or setting dates.

### Source Code Repositories
Multiple URLs offer access to the source code in src/date.c:
- Preferred: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git/tree/src/date.c, qualified with :  and : cgit.
- Alternative: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=coreutils.git;a=blob;f=src/date.c;h=ff5c548c0bb12ea214afa039b9b894142aa9bfbf;hb=HEAD, qualified with :  and : Gitweb.
These Savannah-hosted repositories enable direct inspection and contribution, aligning with free software principles.

### Legal and Distribution Status
GNU date holds a copyright_status of copyrighted. Despite this, its free software classification ensures permissive use, study, modification, and redistribution, distinguishing it from fully proprietary utilities.

## References

1. [Source](https://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/coreutils/coreutils/src/date.c?revision=1.170&view=markup)