anyone know what sort command I'l use to search multiple files (like over 50 or so) for a particular string.
I'm trying to track down where a command is coming from and need to search lots and lots of files cause I've looked in all the ones I thought it'd come from but can't find it.. A boot script to do with setting up the network card it what gives it during the boot process but the script nor the functions file contain it.. its just too weird for me..

the command that lists files is

ls


to hidden files use

ls -a


to show file sizes and permissions, etc use

ls -l

ls -la /somefolder

to find something


ls /somefolder | grep w*l?ind?his*

willfindthisfile


ls [abc]*[de]

shows all files starting with either a, b, or c and and also ending with either d, or e

Nevermind I guess you mean inside the files, sorry



use this


cat filename | grep string



use * or some wildcard form for filenames


some files will freek out the xterm and sound

ls /somefolder | grep w*l?ind?his*

That wouldn't search within files would it? correct me if I'm wrong but is that listing a dir, sending the output to grep and grep searches the list for the string then displays it on screen? so your displaying file names..

I'm thinking (at work at the mo) of just going
grep -r Intervention *
and I'm hoping that'll search every file on the partition (I'm trying to troubleshoot LFS so its not that big of a partition) to location whats calling this strange word. Does that sound right, I know its a long and painful way to try it but its all I can think of since I have no idea whats trying to call it..or would that not do it? or was I wrong in what your command meant?

no you should use cat for file contents


ls only outputs filenames

How can you tell where it came from if you do them all at once?

Because it would tell me which filename the text was contained in.

I think your right there


grep will list like this


filename: line with string in it



you could do this


grep "string to find" *

I know it sounds stupid but I can't think of other ways to try it..

Is there a different log file that contains the error output from boot scripts cause I could only fine the log prior to that part of the boot process.

yep


check dmesg


and also check /var/log/messages




What is the error?

Found the problem,
I had a space in my hostname in the network file..how silly is that..

Cool