gh-83714: Use `statx` on more recent Linux to expose `st_flags` and `st_btime` on all platforms by ntninja · Pull Request #19125 · python/cpython · GitHub

Still missing tests, but I'd appreciate feedback on the changes themselves in the meantime. Also ideas for properly testing btime would be appreciated.

#83714

Issue: Add os.statx() function #83714

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On BSD/macOS this uses the value of `st_birthtime` (which remains for compatibity reasons), on Windows it duplicates the value of `st_ctime`. A Linux implementation is added in subsequent commits.

It cannot be enabled by default because this implementation does not have any fallback to plain stat for older kernels and Linux 4.11 is still fairly recent. The configure checks also ensure that the C library expose the proper stub functions (glibc 2.28+ only).

…D UF_* equivalent as defined by FreeBSD

typo - "were" should be "where"

tip - update version markers in docs to "next" and it'll automagically use the right version.

Could this be performance checked against the existing stat? Stat is called a lot (in Python 3.14 on linux once for every file opened which includes imports by default) and my worry is issues like https://lwn.net/Articles/944214/ where the different variants of stat have quite a bit of performance delta.

Another take on this: How about not modifying os.stat behavior at all but instead introduce an os.statx API that uses the more modern system call when available and exposes its functionality - in particular the mask functionality so that people can call it and get only the specific data they want instead of a large everything-bagel os.stat result.

The os module is all about providing wrappers around the underlying platform APIs.
(edit: raised this question on the issue)

Another take on this: How about not modifying os.stat behavior at all but instead introduce an os.statx API that uses the more modern system call when available and exposes its functionality - in particular the mask functionality so that people can call it and get only the specific data they want instead of a large everything-bagel os.stat result.

os.statx() has been added. This PR is now outdated, I close it. There is a discussion on using os.statx() in pathlib.

Thanks @ntninja for your contribution even if it was taken as it is. Exposing new syscalls is non trivial, it takes time to decide how to expose it in Python.

the-knights-who-say-ni added the CLA signed label Mar 23, 2020

bedevere-bot added the awaiting review label Mar 23, 2020

ntninja force-pushed the fix-issue-39533 branch 4 times, most recently from 1c474bf to bd158bb Compare March 27, 2020 17:48

ezio-melotti removed the CLA signed label Jul 13, 2022

SebAlbert reviewed Sep 5, 2022

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Comment thread Doc/library/os.rst Outdated

ntninja force-pushed the fix-issue-39533 branch from bd158bb to 8a8bab2 Compare September 12, 2022 23:17

alexander255 mannequin mentioned this pull request Sep 12, 2022

Add os.statx() function #83714

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ntninja force-pushed the fix-issue-39533 branch 3 times, most recently from 667ece4 to 4d1edcc Compare September 13, 2022 00:44

ntninja added 7 commits September 15, 2022 16:51

Update file flag bits in the stat module and add the relevant Linux ones

4d82bc3

Always expose st_flags and st_btime{,_ns} on all platforms

e6bd28b

On BSD/macOS this uses the value of `st_birthtime` (which remains for compatibity reasons), on Windows it duplicates the value of `st_ctime`. A Linux implementation is added in subsequent commits.

Add statx-based stat implementation for Linux

54a23b5

Map Linux STATX_FLAG_* and Windows FILE_ATTRIBUTE_* flags to their BS…

53cee11

…D UF_* equivalent as defined by FreeBSD

bpo-39533: Add documentation on new :func:os.stat properties

16775d0

Add support for STATX_ATTR_{VERITY,DAX} and the new stx_mnt_id field

9aae324

ntninja force-pushed the fix-issue-39533 branch from 4d1edcc to 9aae324 Compare September 15, 2022 14:56

martonivan mentioned this pull request Mar 6, 2024

gh-84649: Make TimedRotatingFileHandler use CTIME instead of MTIME #24660

Merged

jbosboom mentioned this pull request Jul 6, 2025

gh-83714: Use statx on Linux 4.11 and later in os.stat #136334

Closed

ExplodingCabbage reviewed Aug 27, 2025

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gpshead approved these changes Aug 30, 2025

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bedevere-app Bot added awaiting merge and removed awaiting review labels Aug 30, 2025

gpshead changed the title bpo-39533: Use statx on more recent Linux to expose st_flags and st_btime on all platforms gh-83714: Use statx on more recent Linux to expose st_flags and st_btime on all platforms Aug 31, 2025

vstinner closed this Oct 21, 2025

+              Use the ``statx(2)`` system call for :func:`os.stat` under Linux to provide
+              cross-platform support for btime (time of file creation) and file
+              attributes. On Windows btime is emulated using ctime and both Linux and
+              Windows file attributes are converted to their (Free)BSD equivalent were

gh-83714: Use `statx` on more recent Linux to expose `st_flags` and `st_btime` on all platforms by ntninja · Pull Request #19125 · python/cpython · GitHub

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gh-83714: Use statx on more recent Linux to expose st_flags and st_btime on all platforms - #19125

gh-83714: Use statx on more recent Linux to expose st_flags and st_btime on all platforms#19125
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+                        STATX_ATTR_VERITY
+                        STATX_ATTR_DAX
+                 .. versionadded:: 3.12

gh-83714: Use `statx` on more recent Linux to expose `st_flags` and `st_btime` on all platforms by ntninja · Pull Request #19125 · python/cpython · GitHub

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gh-83714: Use statx on more recent Linux to expose st_flags and st_btime on all platforms - #19125

gh-83714: Use statx on more recent Linux to expose st_flags and st_btime on all platforms#19125ntninja wants to merge 7 commits intopython:mainpython/cpython:mainfrom ntninja:fix-issue-39533ntninja/cpython:fix-issue-39533Copy head branch name to clipboard

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gh-83714: Use statx on more recent Linux to expose st_flags and st_btime on all platforms#19125
ntninja wants to merge 7 commits into
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ntninja:fix-issue-39533

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