What are alternatives to touch command?

The "touch" command in Linux is primarily used to create empty files or update the timestamps of existing files. However, there are various alternatives for its functionality, depending on specific use cases. This article explores some alternatives to the "touch" command that can be used in a Linux environment.
alternatives, touch command, Linux, create files, update timestamps, command line

# 1. Using echo to create an empty file
echo "" > newfile.txt

# 2. Using cats to create an empty file
cat /dev/null > anotherfile.txt

# 3. Using redirect with the > operator
> emptyFile.txt

# 4. Using the 'install' command to create an empty file
install -D /dev/null emptyFile2.txt
    

alternatives touch command Linux create files update timestamps command line