The date command can be used to display the date or to set a date.
Structure: date [option] [+format] date [options] [string]
The first structure shows how date can be used to display the current date. A certain format can be specified in which the date should be displayed. Check the Unix manual for specific formats and options. The second structure allows you to set the date by supplying a numeric string. Only privileged users will be able to use this second command structure.
