IT professionals can find files on their Linux system quickly and efficiently by using the command-line interface. This guide shows how to find files based on their properties such as file size, (non)executable, date, and more. In the world of IT, working with a large number of files and directories can be time-consuming, but using the command-line interface solves this problem. Let’s get started!
How to Find Files Based on Properties
Human-Readable Property
To find files based on their human-readable property, you can use the -h option with the ls command. This option displays the file size in a more readable format, such as “1K” instead of “1024”.
ls -lh
This command will display all files in the current directory with their sizes in human-readable format.
File Size
To find files based on their size, you can use the find command. For example, to find all files larger than 1MB, you can use the following command:
find / -size +1M
This command will search for files starting from the root directory (/) and display all files larger than 1MB.
(Non)Executable Property
To find files based on their (non)executable property, you can use the find command. For example, to find all non-executable files in the current directory, you can use the following command:
find . -type f ! -executable
This command will search for all files (-type f) in the current directory (.) that are not executable (! -executable).
Date Property
To find files based on their date property, you can use the find command. For example, to find all files modified in the last 24 hours, you can use the following command:
find / -type f -mtime -1
This command will search for all files (-type f) starting from the root directory (/) that were modified in the last 24 hours (-mtime -1).
File Property Examples Summarized
| Property | Command | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Human-Readable | ls -lh | Displays all files in the current directory with their sizes in human-readable format |
| File Size | find / -size +1M | Searches for files starting from the root directory (/) and displays all files larger than 1MB |
| (Non)Executable | find . -type f ! -executable | Searches for all files (-type f) in the current directory (.) that are not executable (! -executable) |
| Date | find / -type f -mtime -1 | Searches for all files (-type f) starting from the root directory (/) that were modified in the last 24 hours (-mtime -1) |
More File Property Examples
# Find all files in the current directory that are executable by others
find . -type f -perm /o=x
# Find all files in the current directory that are readable and writable by the owner
find . -type f -perm /u=rw
# Find all files in the current directory that have been accessed in the last 7 days
find . -type f -atime -7
# Find all files in the current directory that were created in the last 24 hours
find . -type f -ctime -1
# Find all files in the current directory that are larger than 1KB and were modified in the last 7 days
find . -type f -size +1k -mtime -7
# Find all files in the current directory that have a size of 0 bytes
find . -type f -size 0
# Find all files in the current directory that were modified more than 30 minutes ago
find . -type f -mmin +30
# Find all files in the current directory that were modified less than 30 minutes ago
find . -type f -mmin -30
# Find all files in the current directory that are not owned by the user "itvraag.nl"
find . ! -user itvraag.nl
# Find all files in the current directory that are not readable by the owner
find . -type f ! -perm /u=r
# Find all files in the current directory that are not writable by the group "itvraag.nl"
find . -type f ! -perm /g=w
FAQs
What is the command to find a file based on its name?
To find a file based on its name, you can use the find command. For example, to find a file named “example.txt” in the current directory, you can use the following command:
find . -name example.txt
How can I find files that are larger than a certain size?
To find files that are larger than a certain size, you can use the find command with the -size option. For example, to find all files larger than 1MB, you can use the following command:
find / -size +1M
Can I search for files based on their creation date?
No, you cannot search for files based on their creation date. The mtime option of the find command searches for files based on their modification time.
How can I find files that are not executable?
To find files that are not executable, you can use the find command with the ! -executable option. For example, to find all non-executable files in the current directory, you can use the following command:
find . -type f ! -executable
What if I don’t remember the exact name of the file I’m looking for?
If you don’t remember the exact name of the file, you can use the grep command to search for files based on keywords in their contents. For example, to search for files containing the word “example” in the current directory, you can use the following command:
grep -rl "example" .
Conclusion
In summary, searching for files on Linux through the command line is a useful tool that saves time and effort. You can use the commands mentioned to search for files based on their properties, such as size, date, and executable status.
Remember to practice and try these commands on your own system for a better understanding. Happy searching!
