Overview
`updatedb` is an essential utility for keeping the file database used by the `locate` command up-to-date. If this database is not updated, `locate` will not be able to find recently added or modified files. It generally needs to be run with `root` privileges to scan and index all file systems.
Key Features
- Creates/updates the database for the
locatecommand - Scans the entire system's file system
- Typically run automatically via
cronjobs - Allows specifying paths/file systems to exclude from scanning via the configuration file (
/etc/updatedb.conf)
Main Options
The `updatedb` command is usually run without options or with specific options within `cron` scripts. Most configurations are done in the `/etc/updatedb.conf` file.
General Options
Generated command:
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Description:
`updatedb` Executes the command.
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Usage Examples
The `updatedb` command is typically run with `sudo` to scan the entire system's file system.
Basic Database Update
sudo updatedbThe most common usage to update the `locate` database. This command requires `root` privileges.
Update with Progress Display
sudo updatedb -vUse the `-v` (verbose) option to see the database update process in detail.
Installation
`updatedb` is usually part of the `mlocate` package. It may not be installed by default on most Linux distributions, so you can install it using the following commands if needed.
Debian/Ubuntu Based Systems
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mlocateCentOS/RHEL/Fedora Based Systems
sudo yum install mlocateTips & Considerations
Points to note and tips related to performance and security when using `updatedb`.
Performance and Resources
- Execution Time: The execution of
updatedbcan take a significant amount of time depending on the number and size of files on your system. It is generally recommended to run it via acronjob during off-peak hours, such as early morning. - CPU/Disk Usage: It can consume significant CPU and disk I/O while scanning the file system, which may affect other system operations.
Security and Configuration
- Root Privileges:
updatedbmust be run withrootprivileges to index all files on the system. Running it with regular user privileges may result in only a subset of files being indexed. - Configuration File: The behavior of
updatedbcan be finely controlled through the/etc/updatedb.conffile. For example, you can use thePRUNEPATHSvariable to exclude specific directories (e.g.,/tmp,/proc,/sys,/dev,/mnt,/media) from scanning, or thePRUNEFSvariable to exclude certain file system types (e.g.,nfs,cifs,fuse). This helps improve performance and security. - Database Location: The generated database file is typically stored at
/var/lib/mlocate/mlocate.db. This file is used by thelocatecommand.