find

Quick Summary

find is a real-time filesystem search tool. It walks directories directly, filters by metadata, and can run actions on the matches.

Learning Path

1. Overview

• What find does and when to use it
• How it differs from indexed search tools
• When to prefer it for audits and automation

2. Syntax

• Basic command structure
• Path, expression, and action order
• Default output behavior

3. Core Filters

• -name and -iname
• -type
• -size
• -mtime, -atime, and -ctime
• -user and -group
• -perm

4. Actions

• -print
• -ls
• -delete
• -exec
• -ok
• -printf

5. Practical Search Patterns

• Find specific files
• Find by extension
• Find directories only
• Find empty files and folders
• Limit depth with -maxdepth and -mindepth

6. Maintenance Workflows

• Bulk permission fixes
• Ownership corrections
• Safe cleanup with -ok and -delete
• Exporting search results

7. Safety and Edge Cases

• Quoting patterns correctly
• Avoiding destructive actions accidentally
• Using -prune for exclusions
• Testing with dry-run style commands first

Core Syntax

find [PATH] [EXPRESSION] [ACTION]

Part	Meaning
PATH	Directory to start searching from
EXPRESSION	Filters like -name, -type, -size
ACTION	What to do with matches, such as -print or -delete

Core Filters

Filter	Meaning	Example
-name	Match filename exactly	find /var/www -name "wp-config.php"
-iname	Case-insensitive filename match	find . -iname "*.jpg"
-type f	Match files only	find . -type f -name "*.php"
-type d	Match directories only	find . -type d -name "uploads"
-size +100M	Match files larger than 100 MB	find /backups -size +100M
-mtime -1	Modified in the last day	find . -mtime -1
-ctime -2	Metadata changed in the last 2 days	find . -ctime -2
-user root	Match owner	find /var/www -user root
-perm 777	Match permission bits	find . -perm 777

Actions

Action	Meaning	Example
-print	Show matches	find . -name "*.log" -print
-ls	Show ls -l style output	find . -type f -ls
-delete	Remove matches	find /var/log -name "*.log" -delete
-exec CMD {} \;	Run a command on each match	find . -name "*.php" -exec chmod 644 {} \;
-ok CMD {} \;	Confirm before running	find . -name "*.bak" -ok rm {} \;
-printf	Custom formatted output	find . -printf "%f %s\n"

Practical Examples

Find a specific file

find /var/www/html -name "wp-config.php"

Find all PHP files

find /var/www/html -name "*.php"

Find directories only

find /var/www/html -type d -name "uploads"

Find large files

find /var/www/html -type f -size +100M

Find empty files

find /var/www/html -type f -empty

Find and delete logs

find /var/log -name "*.log" -delete

Fix permissions

find /var/www/html -name "*.php" -exec chmod 644 {} \;

Best Practices

• Start with a narrow path.
• Test the search before using -delete or -exec.
• Quote patterns like *.php so the shell does not expand them first.
• Use -maxdepth when you only want the top level.
• Use -prune to skip cache or vendor directories.

What's Next

1. Learn the syntax and expression rules in the examples above.
2. Practice a few searches against /var/www, /home, or /var/log.
3. Add find to shell scripts for cleanup, audits, and bulk maintenance.