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Chielo Chiamaka
Chielo Chiamaka

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find command

#cloudwhistler #linux #devops #opensource

Introduction to the find Command in Linux

The find command helps you search for files and directories across your filesystem based on name, type, size, modification time, permissions, and more.

Unlike grep, which searches inside files, find searches for files or directories themselves.

Here’s how to get comfortable with it.

Table of Contents

Basic Syntax of find 

find [starting_point] [options] [expression]
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  • starting_point: where the search begins (e.g., . for current directory or /home/user)
  • options / expression: what to look for (e.g., -name, -type, etc.)

1. Find by Exact File Name 

find <directory> -name <filename>
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Find by Exact File Name

  • <directory> means search from the current directory.
  • -name tells find to look for a file with the exact name "notes.txt".
  • If it finds the file, it will show you the full path.

2. Case-Insensitive File Name Search 

find <directory> -iname <filename>
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Case-Insensitive File Name Search

  • -iname is just like -name but ignores case. So it will match CASEi.txt, Casei.TXT, etc.

3. Find Files by Type

In the find command, -type is used to specify the type of file you're looking for.

Common values for -type:

Letter Meaning
f Regular file (e.g., .txt, .log, .sh)
d Directory
l Symbolic link
c Character device file (like /dev/tty)
b Block device file (like /dev/sda)

Examples:

To find files only:

find <directory> -type f
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To find files only
To find directories only:

find . -type d
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This is useful if you're searching inside complex folders.

4. Find Files by Extension 

find <directory> -name "*.log"
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Find Files by Extension
This finds all files ending in .log.

You can use -iname "*.log" to do it case-insensitively.

5. Find Empty Files or Directories 

find <directory> -empty
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Find Empty Files or Directories<br>

  • Returns empty files or folders
  • Useful for cleanup.

6. Find Files by Size

Find files smaller than 100 MB:

find <directory> -size -500k
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Find Files by Size
Find files larger than 10 MB:

find <directory>  -size +10M
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To find files between 50MB and 100MB:

find <directory> -size +50M -size -100M
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Size units:

  • c = bytes
  • k = kilobytes
  • M = megabytes
  • G = gigabytes

Examples:

  • -size -500k = smaller than 500 KB
  • -size +1G = larger than 1 GB

7. Find Files by Modification Time 

find <directory> -mtime -1
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Find Files by Modification Time<br>
Finds files modified in the last 1 day.

-1 means less than 1 day ago.

Use +7 for files older than 7 days.

8. Find Files Accessed Recently 

find <directory> -atime -2
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Find Files Accessed Recently

  • -atime = accessed time.
  • Finds files accessed within the last 2 days.

9. Find Files with Specific Permissions 

find <directory> -perm 644
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Find Files with Specific Permissions
Finds files with exact permission 755 (owner can read/write & execute, group and others can read & write).

Other modes:

  • -perm -mode = must have all permission bits
  • -perm /mode = match any of the bits

10. Find Files by Owner 

find <directory> -user <username>
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Find Files by Owner
Finds files owned by a specific user.

Example:

find /var/log -user john
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Useful for checking user activity or auditing.

11. Find and Copy Files Owned by a User 

find <directory> -user <username> -exec cp {} <location> \;
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  • Finds files owned by a user and copies each one to a backup folder.
  • Replace secteam with your desired backup path.

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12. Find and Delete Files Owned by a User 

find <directory> -user <username> -exec rm {} \;
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  • Searches for files owned by the user and deletes them. Be cautious, test first using ls instead of rm.

13. Find and Delete Files 

find <directory> -name "filename" -exec rm {} \;
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Find and Delete Files

  • -exec lets you run a command on each found file.
  • {} is replaced with the filename.
  • \; ends the -exec command.

Test safely:

find <directory> -name "filename" -exec ls {} \;
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14. Find and List with Full Path 

find "$(pwd)" -name "*.sh"
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  • $(pwd) gives full path of current directory.
  • Useful to know exact locations of found files.

15. Combine Multiple Conditions 

find . -type f -name "*.log" -size +1M
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  • Finds all .log files that are regular files and larger than 1 MB.

Conclusion

From everyday maintenance to system-wide audits, the find command proves its worth in countless scenarios.

Knowing how to use it efficiently can save you time and prevent costly mistakes.

Start with simple queries, build your confidence, and you'll soon be a find command power user.

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