BSD vi/view resets inode ctime: why?

[lkc at hpirs.UUCP]

> Why does 4.2/4.3 BSD vi/view, exited without changing the file, update the
> inode change time?  Dump finds many more files to dump because of this, when
> the file contents/permissions/etc. have not changed.  This makes incremental
> dumps much larger than seems necessary.  Sorry if this has been asked/answered
> before, but my access to unix-wizards is sporadic.
> 
> -- Rex
>    rex at erebus.stanford.edu

As soon as you read a file, the access time is changed. If the access
time changes, the kernel has no choice but to update the change
status time.

Lee Casuto
...ucbvax!hpda!lkc