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locate database / Find

locate is a Unix command that you can use to quickly find a file or a folder by searching the locate database (which is an index of all items stored on the hard disk). When installing the system, this database doesn't exist, and you must create it and update it regularly if you want to use the locate command.


The Find command in the Utilities pane:

You can use the Find tab in the Utilities pane to create, remove, and update the locate database. After the database has been created, then you can search for items. Click a list item to have it appear in the Finder. This pane also displays the size of the database and the date of last update.

The Rebuild command in the Maintenance pane:

If the locate database has already been created, it can be updated from the Rebuild tab in the Maintenance pane.

Warning: Creating and rebuilding the "locate" database can take a long time. Wait for the task to complete!