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 contain 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 filesystem.  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(1).  Databases
       cannot be concatenated together.

       The LOCATE02 database format was introduced in GNU findutils version 4.0 in order to allow machines  with
       different  byte orderings to share the databases.  GNU locate can read both the old and LOCATE02 database
       formats, though support for the old pre-4.0 database format will be removed shortly.

OPTIONS

       --findoptions='-option1 -option2...'
              Global options to pass on to find.  The environment variable FINDOPTIONS  also  sets  this  value.
              Default is none.

       --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 database.  The environment variable
              NETPATHS also sets this value.  Default is none.

       --prunepaths='path1 path2...'
              Directories to not put in the database, which would otherwise be.   Remove  any  trailing  slashes
              from  the  path  names,  otherwise updatedb won't recognise the paths you want to omit (because it
              uses them as regular expression patterns).  The environment variable  PRUNEPATHS  also  sets  this
              value.  Default is /tmp /usr/tmp /var/tmp /afs.

       --prunefs='path...'
              File  systems  to  not  put in the database, which would otherwise be.  Note that files are pruned
              when a file system is reached; any file system mounted under an  undesired  file  system  will  be
              ignored.  The environment variable PRUNEFS also sets this value.  Default is nfs NFS proc.

       --output=dbfile
              The  database  file  to  build.  Default is system-dependent.  In Debian GNU/Linux, the default is
              /var/cache/locate/locatedb.

       --localuser=user
              The user to search non-network directories as, using su(1).  Default is to search the  non-network
              directories  as the current user.  You can also use the environment variable LOCALUSER to set this
              user.

       --netuser=user
              The user to search network directories as, using su(1).  Default is daemon.  You can also use  the
              environment variable NETUSER to set this user.

       --dbformat=F
              Create  the  database  in  format  F.   The  default format is called LOCATE02.  Alternatively the
              slocate format is also supported.  When the slocate format is in use,  the  database  produced  is
              marked  as  having security level 1.  If you want to build a system-wide slocate database, you may
              want to run updatedb as root.

       --version
              Print the version number of updatedb and exit.

       --help Print a summary of the options to updatedb and exit.

BUGS

       The updatedb program correctly handles filenames containing newlines,  but  only  if  the  system's  sort
       command  has  a  working  -z  option.  If you suspect that locate may need to return filenames containing
       newlines, consider using its --null option.

REPORTING BUGS

       GNU findutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/findutils/#get-help>
       Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>

       Report any other issue via the form at the GNU Savannah bug tracker:
              <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?group=findutils>
       General topics about the GNU findutils package are discussed at the bug-findutils mailing list:
              <https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-findutils>

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright © 1994–2024 Free Software Foundation,  Inc.   License  GPLv3+:  GNU  GPL  version  3  or  later
       <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
       This  is  free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent
       permitted by law.

SEE ALSO

       find(1), locate(1), xargs(1), locatedb(5)

       Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/findutils/updatedb>
       or available locally via: info updatedb

                                                                                                     UPDATEDB(1)