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)