Question

When I backup a file, I add a timestamp to it.

For example:

$ DATE=$(date +%F)
$ cp file{,.$DATE.bk}
$ ls
file  file.2012-06-20.bk

There is a bash variable RANDOM, every time I echo it, it gives me different values:

$ echo $RANDOM
20511
$ echo $RANDOM
12577
$ echo $RANDOM
32433

How can I define such kind of a variable DATE?

Answer 1

You need to edit the bash source code in order to provide it. But make sure you know what format everyone wants their date in before doing it.