how to find the install date of the server?

[Apurba Kumar]

Hey friends,

Is there any command to find out the install date of a Linux server?

Thanks
Adithyan

[Steven E. Protter · Accepted solution]

Shalom,

Get the date on a file that has never been modified.

ll /etc/issue
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1278 Mar 5 2007 /etc/issue

That is the exact date I installed the system in question.

Pick your file.

Regards,

SEP

[AwadheshPandey]

You can try this. (Mostly Works)
(means old file in dev directory)

ls -atl /dev | tail -1

Regards,

[Apurba Kumar]

Hi Steven/pandey

There are files/directories showing older dates than thse files.

eg:
[root@cmfciohprap02 boot]# ll /dev|tail -1
crw-rw---- 1 root disk 27, 19 Jun 24 2004 zqft3

[root@cmfciohprap02 boot]# ll /etc/issue.net
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 686 Apr 18 2005 /etc/issue.net

in /boot I have seen

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5824 Sep 8 2003 boot.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 612 Sep 8 2003 chain.b

This is not the right answer I guess.

Thanks
Adithyan

[Ivan Ferreira]

Right after the installation, the following files are created in the /root directory:

ls -la anaconda-ks.cfg install.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2432 jun 8 14:09 anaconda-ks.cfg
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 64150 jun 8 14:09 install.log


So, these files are good files to identify the installation date.

[Apurba Kumar]

Hi Steven/Ivan,

Thanks. Both install.log and issue files are showing the same date.

Any idea how to find the same in HP server? Are there any similar files?

[Philip Gunter]

If you're after the installation date of a HP-UX server then try

swlist -l product -a install_date OS-Core


Cheers,
Philip.