UPDATEDB(1L)UPDATEDB(1L)NAME
updatedb - update a file name database
SYNOPSIS
updatedb [options]
DESCRIPTION
This manual page documents the GNU version of updatedb, which updates
file name databases used by GNU locate. The file name databases con‐
tain 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 filesys‐
tem. 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.
OPTIONS
--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 data‐
base. Default is none.
--prunepaths='path1 path2...'
Directories to not put in the database, which would otherwise
be. Default is /tmp /usr/tmp /var/tmp /afs.
--output=dbfile
The database file to build. Default is system-dependent, but
typically /usr/local/var/locatedb.
--netuser=user
The user to search network directories as, using su(1). Default
is daemon.
--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.
SEE ALSOfind(1L), locate(1L), locatedb(5L), xargs(1L) Finding Files (on-line in
Info, or printed)
UPDATEDB(1L)
