locate Command in Linux: Fast File Search Using Database

The locate command can be used to find files on the system through a database it maintains. Because it searches in a database, the result is instant. However, recently added files may not be in the database yet.

This way, the database can be updated from time to time, or manually.

Example:

$ locate passwd/etc/passwd/etc/passwd-/etc/pam.d/passwd/etc/security/opasswd/usr/bin/gpasswd( ... )

To update the database, the updatedb command must be executed as root:

$ sudo updatedb

The locate command is not always installed by default in distributions, which can be done with apt or yum commands, depending on the distribution:

For Debian or Ubuntu distributions:

$ sudo apt install locate

For Red Hat/CentOS/Fedora:

$ sudo yum install locate

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