Find command
Purpose
It searches for files in a directory hierarchy
USAGE
find options starting/path expression
Description:
This can be extended as:
• The -H, -L and -P options control the treatment of symbolic links.
• If no paths are given, the current directory is used.
• If no expression is given, the expression -print is used.
OPTIONS:
The five `real' options -H, -L, -P, -D and -O must appear before the first path name, if at
all.
• -P Never follow symbolic links.
• -L Follow symbolic links.
• -H Do not follow symbolic links, except while processing the command line arguments.
-D debugopts
Print diagnostic information; this can be helpful to diagnose problems with why find is not doing what you want. The list of debug options should be comma separated.
Valid debug options include
- help Explain the debugging options
- tree Show the expression tree in its original and optimised form.
- stat Print messages as files are examined with the stat and lstat system calls.
- opt Prints diagnostic information relating to the optimisation of the expression tree;
- o rates Prints a summary indicating how often each predicate succeeded or failed.
-Olevel
It enables query optimisation.The optimisations performed at each optimisation level are as follows.
0 Equivalent to optimisation level 1.
1 This is the default optimisation level
2 Any -type or -xtype tests are performed after any tests
3 the full cost-based query optimiser is enabled.
EXPRESSION
The part of the command line after the list of starting points is the expression.
An expression is composed of a sequence of things:
• Tests Tests return a true or false value
• Actions Actions have side effects and return either true or false, usually based
• Global options It affects the operation of tests and actions specified on any part.
Global options always return true.
• Positional options Positional options affect only tests or actions which follow them.
Positional options always return true.
Operators
Operators join together the other items within the expression. They include for example -o (meaning logical OR) and –a (meaning logical AND).
Where an operator is missing, -a is assumed.
If the whole expression contains no actions other than -prune or -print, -print is performed on all files for which the whole expression is true.
The -delete action also acts like an option.
Basic Examples
