term% cat index.txt FIND(1) General Commands Manual FIND(1)
NAME
find - find files
SYNOPSIS
find pathname-list expression
DESCRIPTION
Find recursively descends the directory hierarchy for each pathname in
the pathname-list (i.e., one or more pathnames) seeking files that
match a boolean expression written in the primaries given below. In
the descriptions, the argument n is used as a decimal integer where +n
means more than n, -n means less than n and n means exactly n.
-name filename
True if the filename argument matches the current file name.
Normal Shell argument syntax may be used if escaped (watch
out for `[', `?' and `*').
-perm onum
True if the file permission flags exactly match the octal
number onum (see chmod(1)). If onum is prefixed by a minus
sign, more flag bits (017777, see stat(2)) become significant
and the flags are compared: (flags&onum)==onum.
-type c True if the type of the file is c, where c is b, c, d or f
for block special file, character special file, directory or
plain file.
-links n True if the file has n links.
-user uname
True if the file belongs to the user uname (login name or nu‐
meric user ID).
-group gname
True if the file belongs to group gname (group name or nu‐
meric group ID).
-size n True if the file is n blocks long (512 bytes per block).
-inum n True if the file has inode number n.
-atime n True if the file has been accessed in n days.
-mtime n True if the file has been modified in n days.
-exec command
True if the executed command returns a zero value as exit
status. The end of the command must be punctuated by an es‐
caped semicolon. A command argument `{}' is replaced by the
current pathname.
-ok command
Like -exec except that the generated command is written on
the standard output, then the standard input is read and the
command executed only upon response y.
-print Always true; causes the current pathname to be printed.
-newer file
True if the current file has been modified more recently than
the argument file.
The primaries may be combined using the following operators (in order
of decreasing precedence):
1) A parenthesized group of primaries and operators (parentheses are
special to the Shell and must be escaped).
2) The negation of a primary (`!' is the unary not operator).
3) Concatenation of primaries (the and operation is implied by the
juxtaposition of two primaries).
4) Alternation of primaries (`-o' is the or operator).
EXAMPLE
To remove all files named `a.out' or `*.o' that have not been accessed
for a week:
find / \( -name a.out -o -name '*.o' \) -atime +7 -exec rm {} \;
FILES
/etc/passwd
/etc/group
SEE ALSO
sh(1), test(1), filsys(5)
BUGS
The syntax is painful.
FIND(1)