Locate and Find

LOCATE AND FIND

/usr/local/gnu/bin/locate is the best way to look for files on a machine and it replaces the older fast-find system. For example, if you type '/usr/local/gnu/bin/locate netscape', you will get all paths which have netscape in them. This is how the result will look :
(Not complet list of paths that 'locate netscape' gives!)
/opt/netscape/nethelp/Topic.js
/opt/netscape/nethelp/Utility.js
/opt/netscape/nethelp/Wait.gif
/opt/netscape/netscape
/opt/netscape/Netscape.ad
/opt/netscape/netscape.bin
/opt/netscape/netscape.c
/opt/netscape/NetscapeCalendar.ad
/opt/netscape/nscal
/opt/netscape/nsconf
/opt/netscape/plugins
/opt/netscape/plugins/libnullplugin.so
/opt/netscape/plugins/nppdf.so
/opt/netscape/plugins/npvcalsol.so
/opt/netscape/README
/opt/netscape/README.nsconf
/opt/netscape/registry
/opt/netscape/RELEASENOTES
/opt/netscape/spell
/opt/netscape/spell/netscape.dic
/opt/netscape/spell/pen4s324.dat
/opt/netscape/vreg
/opt/netscape/XKeysymDB
/usr/local/netscape

Some related commands are:

type -- type displays information about each operand identifying the operand as a shell built-in, function, alias, hashed command, or keyword, and where applicable, may display the operand's path name. For example, typing type netscape gives netscape is /usr/local/bin/netscape which is a path of the program.

whatis -- looks through manpages for the command. For example, typing whatis file gives the following: file (1) - determine file type
file (n) - Manipulate file names and attributes.

file -- determines file type. For example, typing file index.html gives the following: index.html: HTML document text.

which -- prints out the full pathname of the program that the shell would call to execute it. For example, typing which netscape gives the following: /usr/local/bin/netscape.

whereis -- finds UNIX commands and programss in certain directories. For example, typing whereis netscape returns: netscape: /usr/local/netscape /usr/local/bin/netscape.

Problems to crf@cs.columbia.edu
Comments to masha@cs.columbia.edu
Modified: July 29, 1998