updatedb - update a file name database
updatedb [options]
This manual page documents the GNU version of updatedb, which updates
file name databases used by GNU locate. The file name databases contain
lists of files that were in particular directory trees when the
databases were last updated. The file name of the default database is
determined when locate and updatedb are configured and installed. The
frequency with which the databases are updated and the directories for
which they contain entries depend on how often updatedb is run, and
with which arguments.
In networked environments, it often makes sense to build a database at
the root of each filesystem, containing the entries for that filesystem.
updatedb is then run for each filesystem on the fileserver where
that filesystem is on a local disk, to prevent thrashing the network.
Users can select which databases locate searches using an environment
variable or command line option; see locate(1L). Databases can not be
concatenated together.
The file name database format changed starting with GNU find and locate
version 4.0 to allow machines with diffent byte orderings to share the
databases. The new GNU locate can read both the old and new database
formats. However, old versions of locate and find produce incorrect
results if given a new-format database.
--localpaths='path1 path2...'
Non-network directories to put in the database. Default is /.
--netpaths='path1 path2...'
Network (NFS, AFS, RFS, etc.) directories to put in the database.
The environment variable NETPATHS also sets this value.
Default is none.
--prunepaths='path1 path2...'
Directories to not put in the database, which would otherwise
be. The environment variable PRUNEPATHS also sets this value.
Default is /tmp /usr/tmp /var/tmp /afs.
--prunefs='path...'
File systems to not put in the database, which would otherwise
be. Note that files are pruned when a file system is reached;
Any file system mounted under an undesired file system will be
ignored. The environment variable PRUNEFS also sets this value.
Default is nfs NFS proc.
--output=dbfile
The database file to build. Default is system-dependent. In
Debian GNU/Linux, the default is /var/lib/locate/locatedb.
--localuser=user
The user to search non-network directories as, using su(1).
Default is to search the non-network directories as the current
user. You can also use the environment variable LOCALUSER to
set this user.
--netuser=user
The user to search network directories as, using su(1). Default
is daemon. You can also use the environment variable NETUSER to
set this user.
--old-format
Create the database in the old format instead of the new one.
--version
Print the version number of updatedb and exit.
--help Print a summary of the options to updatedb and exit.
find(1L), locate(1L), locatedb(5L), xargs(1L) Finding Files (on-line in
Info, or printed)
UPDATEDB(1L)
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