LOCATE.UPDATEDB(8) | System Manager's Manual | LOCATE.UPDATEDB(8)

# NAME

`locate.updatedb` — update locate database

# SYNOPSIS

`locate.updatedb` | [`--fcodes`=dbfile] [`--filesystems`='type ...'] [`--prunepaths`='dir ...'] [`--searchpaths`='dir ...'] [`--tmpdir`=dir]

# DESCRIPTION

`locate.updatedb` updates the database used by locate(1). It is typically run once a week by the weekly(8) script.

The options are as follows:

`--fcodes`
  Output to an alternate database file instead of the default /var/db/locate.database. If ‘`-`’ is specified in place of the file name, send the database to the standard output.
`--filesystems`
  A list of filesystem types to be traversed by find(1). The default is 'ffs ufs ext2fs'.
`--prunepaths`
  Set the list of parent directories that should not go in the database. The default is '/tmp /var/tmp'.
`--searchpaths`
  Set the list of directories to be put in the database. The default is '/'.
`--tmpdir`
  Set the directory temporary files are stored in. The default is /tmp.

The default settings are modified by the optional configuration file /etc/locate.rc. It is a sh(1) script that can be used to set variables. The names of the variables match the names of the command line options, but in all caps.

# FILES

/etc/locate.rc
  configuration file
/var/db/locate.database
  default database

# SEE ALSO

find(1), locate(1), locate.mklocatedb(8), weekly(8)

Woods, James A., Finding Files Fast, ;login, 8:1, pp. 8-10, 1983.

June 12, 2022 | Debian