How to Find Files and Directories in Linux

The find command in Linux is a powerful tool for searching files and directories based on various criteria like name, size, type, and modification time. It’s essential for locating files, performing bulk operations, and automating tasks. Below are practical examples to master find:

Find Files by Name

find /path/to/search -name "file.txt"  

Searches for file.txt in /path/to/search.

Find Files by Name (Case-Insensitive)

find /path/to/search -iname "file.txt"  

• -iname: Ignores case when matching names.

Find Files by Type

find /path/to/search -type f  

• -type f: Finds only files.
• Use -type d for directories.

Find Files by Size

find /path/to/search -size +100M  

• +100M: Finds files larger than 100 MB.
• Use -100M for files smaller than 100 MB.

Find Files by Modification Time

find /path/to/search -mtime -7  

• -mtime -7: Finds files modified in the last 7 days.
• Use +7 for files modified more than 7 days ago.

Find Files by Access Time

find /path/to/search -atime -7  

• -atime -7: Finds files accessed in the last 7 days.

Find Files by Permissions

find /path/to/search -perm 644  

• -perm 644: Finds files with permissions set to 644.

Find and Delete Files

find /path/to/search -name "*.tmp" -delete  

• -delete: Deletes files matching the pattern *.tmp.

Find and Execute a Command on Files

find /path/to/search -name "*.log" -exec rm {} \;  

• -exec: Executes rm on each .log file found.
• {}: Represents the current file.

Find Files and Print Details

find /path/to/search -name "*.txt" -ls  

• -ls: Displays detailed information about matching files.

Find Empty Files or Directories

find /path/to/search -empty  

• -empty: Finds empty files or directories.

Find Files Owned by a Specific User

find /path/to/search -user username  

• -user: Finds files owned by username.

Find Files by Group Ownership

find /path/to/search -group groupname  

• -group: Finds files owned by groupname.

Find Files and Archive Them

find /path/to/search -name "*.log" -exec tar -czvf logs.tar.gz {} +  

• Archives all .log files into logs.tar.gz.

Find Files and Copy Them to a Directory

find /path/to/search -name "*.jpg" -exec cp {} /target/directory \;  

• Copies all .jpg files to /target/directory.

Find Files and Change Permissions

find /path/to/search -name "*.sh" -exec chmod 755 {} \;  

• Changes permissions of .sh files to 755.

Key Notes:

• Recursive Search: find searches recursively by default.
• Combining Conditions: Use -and, -or, and -not to combine search criteria.
• Performance: For large directories, use -maxdepth to limit search depth.