File Modify Times Are Unexpectedly Changed

[David White]

Please repsond to me via email if possible to davepwhite at hotmail.com. No access to the list at this time. Thanks.

I have 2 machines, one runs Windows NT 4.0 sp5, the other RH Linux 7.0.

The Linux box mounts an NT shared drive upon startup. The version number reported by both smbclient and smbmount is 2.0.7.

Here is my problem: On the NT box, I create a file in the shared area. I then check its various file date values using the
Explorer's properties dialog and write them down. Then I go to the Linux box and simply cat the file's contents. I then return to
the NT box and again check the file's date properties. At this point, I find that both the accessed time and the modified time have
changed from what was originally recorded. This seems strange to me as all that has been done is that the file has been opened and
read. There has been no modification. The same thing occurs if I less the file or do a touch -a to the file.

The result of all this is that my make process and my interaction with my version control system (on the Windows box) are now hosed
up because the file is noted as having been changed when, in fact, it has not.

I see that in the docs for Samba, there is a config parameter that appears to speak to this sort of problem. It is a share-level
parameter called "dos filetime resolution". However, since this is not a Samba share, I cannot twiddle this parameter. I do not see
any similar parameter in the docs for smbclient or smbmount. Even if I did, I still am not sure why the file's modify time has been
changed when no modification has been attempted.

Can anyone please tell me (1) what is going on here and (2) how to resolve the problem so that my make and VCS are not affected?

Thanks in advance for your help.

David
Seattle, WA