find -name and moving to file
 

I'm trying to do something that I know worked before, but I must have forgotten a step or something.

I want to search some directories for specific file and output it to a file as a list. I thought it would be something like this:

find . -name *.tmp -print >> /tmp/list.txt

When I type this it prints a list of the files it finds on the screen, but nothing in the file I'm redirecting to. I've even tried:

find . -name *.tmp | printf "%s/n" >>/tmp/list.txt

I've had no luck. What am I doing wrong? Sorry, I know this is a basic tool...

-name ?
 

find ./ -name temp* >> /tmp/listit

just worked for me. Your example doesn't include the "-name" option, but i'm guessing it's a typo because your subject does.

If that doesn't work, try escaping the star since it's at the front of the search string.

Opps... yeah, I have been using -name and it still didn't work.

The strange thing about it is that when I leave off the print command, it just prints each file down the screen... I just cannot get it to copy into a file.

hey zedmelon... your suggestion worked. It will list the files if I do a:

find ./ -name temp* >> /tmp/list.txt

Makes me wonder how you'd do a find on files with a certain extension though.

Re: find -name and moving to file
 

If you are just trying to get the list of files into another file, why are you wasting your time with the find command?

Use list:

ls -l *.tmp >> /tmp/list.txt

I also do something that may not be required with the find command. I use single quotes around the search string: '*.tmp', nonetheless if you just need the list use the list command. It's both simple and quick.

Hope I have not misread your intent.

Thanks txtedmacs! That works too... lol

If it sounds to easy, it's because it is. :)