Linux in a Nutshell, 6th Edition

Name

find

Synopsis

find [pathnames] [conditions]

An extremely useful command for finding particular groups of files (numerous examples follow this description). find descends the directory tree beginning at each pathname and locates files that meet the specified conditions. The default pathname is the current directory. The most useful conditions include -name and -type (for general use), -exec and -size (for advanced use), and -mtime and -user (for administrators).

Conditions may be grouped by enclosing them in \( \) (escaped parentheses), negated with !, given as alternatives by separating them with -o, or repeated (adding restrictions to the match; usually only for -name, -type, or -perm). Note that “modification” refers to editing of a file’s contents, whereas “change” means a modification, or permission or ownership changes. In other words, -ctime is more inclusive than -atime or -mtime.

Conditions and actions

-amin +n| -n| n

Find files last accessed more than n (+n), less than n (-n), or exactly n minutes ago.

-anewer file

Find files that were accessed after file was last modified. Affected by -H or -L when after them on the command line.

-atime +n| -n| n

Find files that were last accessed more than n (+n), less than n (-n), or exactly n days ago. Note that find changes the access time of directories supplied as pathnames.

-cmin +n| -n| n

Find files last changed more than n (+n), less than n (-n), or exactly n minutes ago.

-cnewer file

Find files that were changed after they were last modified. ...