Recursively strip all EXIF info + metadata, BUT preserve date and time

leave-only-date.py

import os
import sys
import subprocess

# recursively strip all EXIF info + metadata, BUT preserve date and time
# requires jhead (tested on jhead v3.00)

if len(sys.argv) < 2:
  print('%s [path]')
  exit()
  
path = sys.argv[1]

def process_file(path):
  # save date/time
  
  out = subprocess.check_output(('jhead', path), stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
  
  dst = None
  
  if b'Date/Time' in out:
    lines = out.split(b'\n')
    for line in lines:
      if line.startswith(b'Date/Time'):
        dst = line[line.index(b':')+2:]
        break
   
  if not dst:
    print('WARNING: No date info in %s' % path)

  # do the actual strip
  
  ret = subprocess.run(('jhead', '-purejpg', path))
  if ret.returncode:
    print('ERROR: Return code was %d for %s' % (ret.returncode, path))
    
    
  # restore date/time
  
  if dst:
    dt = dst.split(b' ')[0].decode('iso-8859-1')
    tt = dst.split(b' ')[1].decode('iso-8859-1')
    
    ret = subprocess.run(('jhead', '-mkexif', '-ts'+dst.decode('iso-8859-1').replace(' ', '-'), path))
    if ret.returncode:
      print('ERROR: While restoring date/time, return code was %d for %s' % (ret.returncode, path))
  
  

for root, dirs, files in os.walk(path):
  for name in files:
    f = os.path.join(root, name)
    process_file(f)