Which VCS is capable of preserving file timestamps?

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I have a collection of files that represent a "project" (txt, cfg, hand edited binary, scripts, etc) that I would like managed in a repository. I would like to house the repository and server (if necessary) on my home Windows machine and be able to access it remotely and locally.

I have setup VisualSVN server and TortiseSVN client and it all works perfectly except for one major hangup; file timestamps. When I add a file to the repository, SVN wipes out the last modified date and changes it to the date when it was committed.

I have files that have dates that span the last 4 years and keeping these timestamps is important to me. I have searched, but have not found a solution to this problem (even though it seems plenty of other people have asked for the same behavior).

So my question is, is there a FREE VCS that allows for original file timestamps to be captured and meets my other general use criteria? I glanced at GIT, but it didn't seem like it did, and I wasn't sure about CVS.

Thanks for any and all help,

Rob

cvs version-control svn
8 Answers

This works in TortoiseSVN to preserve the original timestamps. After creating a new project and after first checkout a) Use a tool like TotalCommander to set/correct the timestamps manually or better b) Just copy / replace all files from the originally location with original timestamps to the working copy of your TortoiseSVN checkout. Replace all files. Now they have the original timestamp again. TortoiseSVN detects that the files haven't changed and leave them alone.

Attention: Only works for personal / single user use-case. If you check out the files, TortoiseSVN will use commit or current timestamp again. But as long you only use SVN to checkin in single user usecase, it will be fine.

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