find.info: Invoking locate

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7.2 Invoking `locate'
=====================

     locate [OPTION...] PATTERN...

   For each PATTERN given `locate' searches one or more file name
databases returning each match of PATTERN.

   For each PATTERN given `locate' searches one or more file name
databases returning each match of PATTERN.

`--all'
`-A'
     Print only names which match all non-option arguments, not those
     matching one or more non-option arguments.

`--basename'
`-b'
     The specified pattern is matched against just the last component of
     the name of a file in the `locate' database.  This last component
     is also called the "base name".  For example, the base name of
     `/tmp/mystuff/foo.old.c' is `foo.old.c'.  If the pattern contains
     metacharacters, it must match the base name exactly.  If not, it
     must match part of the base name.

`--count'
`-c'
     Instead of printing the matched file names, just print the total
     number of matches found, unless `--print' (`-p') is also present.

`--database=PATH'
`-d PATH'
     Instead of searching the default `locate' database
     `/usr/local/var/locatedb', `locate' searches the file name
     databases in PATH, which is a colon-separated list of database
     file names.  You can also use the environment variable
     `LOCATE_PATH' to set the list of database files to search.  The
     option overrides the environment variable if both are used.  Empty
     elements in PATH (that is, a leading or trailing colon, or two
     colons in a row) are taken to stand for the default database.  A
     database can be supplied on stdin, using `-' as an element of
     `path'. If more than one element of `path' is `-', later instances
     are ignored (but a warning message is printed).

`--existing'
`-e'
     Only print out such names which currently exist (instead of such
     names which existed when the database was created).  Note that
     this may slow down the program a lot, if there are many matches in
     the database.  The way in which broken symbolic links are treated
     is affected by the `-L', `-P' and `-H' options.  Please note that
     it is possible for the file to be deleted after `locate' has
     checked that it exists, but before you use it.  This option is
     automatically turned on when reading an `slocate' database in
     secure mode (Note: slocate Database Format).

`--non-existing'
`-E'
     Only print out such names which currently do not exist (instead of
     such names which existed when the database was created).  Note that
     this may slow down the program a lot, if there are many matches in
     the database.  The way in which broken symbolic links are treated
     is affected by the `-L', `-P' and `-H' options.  Please note that
     `locate' checks that the file does not exist, but a file of the
     same name might be created after `locate''s check but before you
     read `locate''s output.

`--follow'
`-L'
     If testing for the existence of files (with the `-e' or `-E'
     options), consider broken symbolic links to be non-existing.  This
     is the default behaviour.

`--nofollow'
`-P'
`-H'
     If testing for the existence of files (with the `-e' or `-E'
     options), treat broken symbolic links as if they were existing
     files.  The `-H' form of this option is provided purely for
     similarity with `find'; the use of `-P' is recommended over `-H'.

`--ignore-case'
`-i'
     Ignore case distinctions in both the pattern and the file names.

`--limit=N'
`-l N'
     Limit the number of results printed to N.  When used with the
     `--count' option, the value printed will never be larger than this
     limit.

`--max-database-age=D'
     Normally, `locate' will issue a warning message when it searches a
     database which is more than 8 days old.  This option changes that
     value to something other than 8.  The effect of specifying a
     negative value is undefined.

`--mmap'
`-m'
     Accepted but does nothing.  The option is supported only to provide
     compatibility with BSD's `locate'.

`--null'
`-0'
     Results are separated with the ASCII NUL character rather than the
     newline character.  To get the full benefit of this option, use
     the new `locate' database format (that is the default anyway).

`--print'
`-p'
     Print search results when they normally would not be due to use of
     `--statistics' (`-S') or `--count' (`-c').

`--wholename'
`-w'
     The specified pattern is matched against the whole name of the
     file in the `locate' database.  If the pattern contains
     metacharacters, it must match exactly.  If not, it must match part
     of the whole file name.  This is the default behaviour.

`--regex'
`-r'
     Instead of using substring or shell glob matching, the pattern
     specified on the command line is understood to be a regular
     expression.  GNU Emacs-style regular expressions are assumed unless
     the `--regextype' option is also given.  File names from the
     `locate' database are matched using the specified regular
     expression.  If the `-i' flag is also given, matching is
     case-insensitive.  Matches are performed against the whole path
     name, and so by default a pathname will be matched if any part of
     it matches the specified regular expression.  The regular
     expression may use `^' or `$' to anchor a match at the beginning
     or end of a pathname.

`--regextype'
     This option changes the regular expression syntax and behaviour
     used by the `--regex' option.  Note: Regular Expressions for more
     information on the regular expression dialects understood by GNU
     findutils.

`--stdio'
`-s'
     Accepted but does nothing.  The option is supported only to provide
     compatibility with BSD's `locate'.

`--statistics'
`-S'
     Print some summary information for each `locate' database.  No
     search is performed unless non-option arguments are given.
     Although the BSD version of locate also has this option, the
     format of the output is different.

`--help'
     Print a summary of the command line usage for `locate' and exit.

`--version'
     Print the version number of `locate' and exit.