How to search for files?

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#1

Hi All,

I have an Xfce install of openSUSE 12.1 but cannot see how to search for files/folders? Maybe I am missing something obvious but Thunar seems to have this functionality missing, or does it?

Thanks,
Nick

#2

My most used way to find files and folders: locate [part_of_file_or_folder_name_without_brackets]. To get that available on your system:


su -c 'zypper in findutils-locate'

or install the “findutils-locate” package through the softwareinstaller.
After installing, do


su -c 'updatedb'

this will build the initial database, which will be updated automagically. Let the command run until finished.

Now, if you want to find a file X, located in a folder Y, do


locate X | grep Y

mind, this will also return a value if there’s a folder called X containing a file or subfolder called Y.

#3

So no automatic GUI way then? Is there no way to just right click on a directory or similar and search for files in all sub-directories.

Cheers,
Nick

#4

In Gnome there is Catfish Download catfish 0.3.2 for Linux - catfish is a handy file search tool using different backends which is configurable via the command line. - Softpedia and since Xfce is gtk based this is probably your best option

In KDE the Krusader filemanager Locate GUI Frontend and both Dolphin and Konqueror by the use of kio:/locate, no idea how much KDE will need to be installed for them to work

#5

This was one of my concerns with going for Xfce, I wondered if I would loose other necessary functionality. My problem with both Gnome and KDE is that neither of them do a ‘Server’ desktop version; that is without games, mail client, web browser, Office and all of the other associated bloat which on a server is not just unnecessary but positively dangerous. Do you think that I would be better dumping Xfce and going with either Gnome or KDE and removing all the unnecessary **** instead.

Nick

#6

you don’t have to loose out, if you like Xfce you can always add KDE/QT and/or Gome/Gtk libs/rpms and run the apps under Xfce, you will still have a lighter desktop. If you add a package then Yast of Apper will at that time install and other required packages.