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
       can not be concatenated together.

       The file name database format changed starting with GNU find and locate version  4.0  to  allow  machines
       with  different  byte orderings to share the databases.  The new GNU locate can read both the old and new
       database formats.  However, old versions of locate and find produce incorrect results  if  given  a  new-
       format database.

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.

       --old-format
              Create the database in the old format.  This is a synonym for --dbformat=old.

       --dbformat=F
              Create the database in format F.  The default format is called LOCATE02.  F can be old  to  select
              the  old database format (this is the same as specifying --old-format).  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.

SEE ALSO

       find(1), locate(1), locatedb(5), xargs(1) Finding Files (on-line in Info, or printed)

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.

       The  best  way  to report a bug is to use the form at http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?group=findutils.  The
       reason for this is that you will then be able to track progress in fixing the problem.    Other  comments
       about  updatedb(1)  and  about  the findutils package in general can be sent to the bug-findutils mailing
       list.  To join the list, send email to bug-findutils-request@gnu.org.

                                                                                                     UPDATEDB(1)