Re: `date` and timestamp format

[Bob Proulx]

Eric Blake wrote:
> > I've been trying to print a timestamp format (I mean seconds from 1 Jan 
> > 1970) with `date` program from coreutils package.
> > There is an option -d but it does not take the numerical timestamp as an 
> > input.
> 
> Yes it does, with an @ prefix.  From section 27.8 of the 5.3.0 info manual:
> 
> For example, on most systems address@hidden' represents 1998-12-31
> 23:59:59 UTC, address@hidden' represents 1999-01-01 00:00:00 UTC.

The original poster did not say what version of date was being used.
Because 5.3.0 is not as commonly installed as 5.2.1 and so it is
likely at this moment in time that the above feature won't exist for
the poster.  Maybe yes and maybe no.  But the previously existing
date -d '1970-01-01 UTC 946684800 seconds' method probably exists for
everybody or at least more people at this time.

Bob