UPDATEDB(1) General Commands Manual UPDATEDB(1) # [NAME](#NAME) updatedb - update a file name database # [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS) **updatedb** \[*options*] # [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION) This manual page documents the GNU version of **updatedb**, which updates file name databases used by GNU **locate**. The file name databases contain lists of files that were in particular directory trees when the databases were last updated. The file name of the default database is determined when **locate** and **updatedb** are configured and installed. The frequency with which the databases are updated and the directories for which they contain entries depend on how often **updatedb** is run, and with which arguments. In networked environments, it often makes sense to build a database at the root of each filesystem, containing the entries for that filesystem. **updatedb** is then run for each filesystem on the fileserver where that filesystem is on a local disk, to prevent thrashing the network. Users can select which databases **locate** searches using an environment variable or command line option; see [**locate**(1)](/man/os/findutils/locate.1). Databases cannot be concatenated together. The **LOCATE02** database format was introduced in GNU findutils version 4.0 in order to allow machines with different byte orderings to share the databases. GNU **locate** can read both the old and **LOCATE02** database formats, though support for the old pre-4.0 database format will be removed shortly. # [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS) [**--findoptions='*-option1 -option2...*'**](#findoptions=') Global options to pass on to **find**. The environment variable **FINDOPTIONS** also sets this value. Default is none. [**--localpaths='*path1 path2...*'**](#localpaths=') Non-network directories to put in the database. Default is /. [**--netpaths='*path1 path2...*'**](#netpaths=') Network (NFS, AFS, RFS, etc.) directories to put in the database. The environment variable **NETPATHS** also sets this value. Default is none. [**--prunepaths='*path1 path2...*'**](#prunepaths=') Directories to not put in the database, which would otherwise be. Remove any trailing slashes from the path names, otherwise **updatedb** won't recognise the paths you want to omit (because it uses them as regular expression patterns). The environment variable **PRUNEPATHS** also sets this value. Default is /tmp /usr/tmp /var/tmp /afs. [**--prunefs='*path...*'**](#prunefs=') File systems to not put in the database, which would otherwise be. Note that files are pruned when a file system is reached; any file system mounted under an undesired file system will be ignored. The environment variable **PRUNEFS** also sets this value. Default is *nfs NFS proc*. [**--output=*dbfile***](#output=) The database file to build. Default is system-dependent. In Debian GNU/Linux, the default is /var/cache/locate/locatedb. [**--localuser=*user***](#localuser=) The user to search non-network directories as, using [**su**(1)](/man/os/findutils/su.1). Default is to search the non-network directories as the current user. You can also use the environment variable **LOCALUSER** to set this user. [**--netuser=*user***](#netuser=) The user to search network directories as, using [**su**(1)](/man/os/findutils/su.1). Default is **daemon**. You can also use the environment variable **NETUSER** to set this user. [**--dbformat=F**](#dbformat=F) Create the database in format F. The default format is called LOCATE02. Alternatively the **slocate** format is also supported. When the **slocate** format is in use, the database produced is marked as having security level 1. If you want to build a system-wide **slocate** database, you may want to run **updatedb** as root. [**--version**](#version) Print the version number of **updatedb** and exit. [**--help**](#help) Print a summary of the options to **updatedb** and exit. # [BUGS](#BUGS) The **updatedb** program correctly handles filenames containing newlines, but only if the system's sort command has a working *-z* option. If you suspect that **locate** may need to return filenames containing newlines, consider using its *--null* option. # [REPORTING BUGS](#REPORTING_BUGS) GNU findutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/findutils/#get-help> Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/> Report any other issue via the form at the GNU Savannah bug tracker: <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?group=findutils> General topics about the GNU findutils package are discussed at the *bug-findutils* mailing list: <https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-findutils> # [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT) Copyright © 1994–2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. # [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO) [**find**(1)](/man/os/findutils/find.1), [**locate**(1)](/man/os/findutils/locate.1), [**xargs**(1)](/man/os/findutils/xargs.1), [**locatedb**(5)](/man/os/findutils/locatedb.5) Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/findutils/updatedb> or available locally via: **info updatedb** 2023-11-10 findutils --- Document: updatedb(1) from findutils 4.11.0-r4 (Chainguard OS) Source: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/findutils.git