====== Tmpwatch ======

**General Information**

tmpwatch is a utility that recursively removes files that haven't been accessed for a specified period of time.

It is normally used to clean up directories such as /tmp.

**Checklist**
  * Distro(s): Enterprise Linux 6

----

====== Install ======

Tmpwatch does not come installed on a CentOS 6 minimal installation.

<code bash>
yum install tmpwatch
</code>

===== cron.daily =====

After installation, there will now be a tmpwatch cron script in: /etc/cron.daily/tmpwatch

See examples below for contents and explanation.

----

====== Tmpwatch Usage ======

Format
<code bash>
tmpwatch -[options] <time> <directories>
</code>

**time**
  * Threshold for removing files.
  * Number with optional single character suffix
    * m = minutes
    * h = hours (default if not specified)
    * d = days

**directories**
  * One or more directories specified for clean up. (Space separated)

**Common Options**
  * -u, --atime => Delete files based on the file's access time. (default setting)
    * Note: the "updatedb" file system scans keep the atime of directories recent.
  * -m, --mtime => Delete files based on the file's modification time.
  * -c, --ctime => Delete files based on the file's inode change time. For directories, delete based on modification time.
  * -a, --all => Remove all file types, not just regular files, symbolic links and directories.
  * -f, --force => Remove files even if root doesn't have write. (same as rm -f)
  * -t, --test => Don't actually remove anything.
  * -v, --verbose => Print display.
  * -x => Skip specified path. (if directory, skip all files inside)
  * -X => Skip paths matching specified pattern.

----

===== Examples =====

==== Fictional App in /opt ====

  * Clean up an application's tmp directory at /opt/app/tmp
  * Check access time (-u), modification time (-m), and change time (-c). 
  * Delete if any of the three are older than 30 days (30d).
<code bash>
tmpwatch -umc 30d /opt/app/tmp
</code>

----

==== Default /etc/cron.daily/tmpwatch ====

**First tmpwatch (with all the "-x")**
  * Clean up /tmp
  * Check access time (-u), modification time (-m), and change time (-c).
  * Exclude all directories specified after each "-x"
  * Exclude any directory that matches the pattern after the "-X"
  * Delete if any of the -umc options are older than 10 days (10d).

**Second tmpwatch "$flags" 30d /var/tmp**
  * Clean up /var/tmp
  * Check access time (-u), modification time (-m), and change time (-c).
  * Delete if any of the -umc options are older than 30 days (30d).

**Third /usr/sbin/tmpwatch "$flags" -f 30d "$d"**
  * Clean up each directory ($d) in the for loop pattern.
  * Check access time (-u), modification time (-m), and change time (-c).
  * Force deletion (-f)
  * Delete if any of the -umc options are older than 30 days (30d).

/etc/cron.daily/tmpwatch
<code bash>
#! /bin/sh
flags=-umc
/usr/sbin/tmpwatch "$flags" -x /tmp/.X11-unix -x /tmp/.XIM-unix \
	-x /tmp/.font-unix -x /tmp/.ICE-unix -x /tmp/.Test-unix \
	-X '/tmp/hsperfdata_*' 10d /tmp
/usr/sbin/tmpwatch "$flags" 30d /var/tmp
for d in /var/{cache/man,catman}/{cat?,X11R6/cat?,local/cat?}; do
    if [ -d "$d" ]; then
	/usr/sbin/tmpwatch "$flags" -f 30d "$d"
    fi
done
</code>

----