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educateme 10-11-2013 05:12 AM
Thorough search for a text file with a specific keyword inside
 
I seem to have lost a specific file of mine. I forgot its name and the directory it is in, but I know what is inside. I know that (1) the filename ends in ".txt" and (2) I know a unique keyword that I am sure is inside this text file (say, "mykeyword"). Armed with these two facts, what is the best/fastest linux command that I can use to search my entire disk for this specific file?

colucix 10-11-2013 05:30 AM
Code:
locate -0 '*.txt' | xargs -0 grep mykeyword

TenTenths 10-11-2013 06:03 AM
Code:
find / -name "*.txt" -exec grep mykeyword {} \;
while slower, doesn't rely on the "locate" database being up-to-date

educateme 10-11-2013 08:08 AM
Thanks for the replies. I was not successful with the locate command. I might have an obsolete database.

Code:
find / -name "*.txt" -exec grep mykeyword {} \;
was semi-successful: it managed to display the line in which "mykeyword" was in the file I was looking for. But unfortunately the filename nor the path to this file was not displayed, just the single line inside the file. So I unfortunately still can't locate the file.

TenTenths 10-11-2013 08:22 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by educateme (Post 5043959)
Thanks for the replies. I was not successful with the locate command. I might have an obsolete database.

Code:
locate -0 '*.txt' | xargs -0 grep mykeyword
was semi-successful: it managed to display the line in which "mykeyword" was in the file I was looking for. But unfortunately the filename nor the path to this file was not displayed, just the single line inside the file. So I unfortunately still can't locate the file.
try:

Code:
grep -H mykeyword
-H tells grep to give the filename

educateme 10-11-2013 09:32 AM
Splendid!
Code:
find / -name "*.txt" -exec grep -H mykeyword {} \;
works. Thanks.

TenTenths 10-11-2013 09:34 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by educateme (Post 5044009)
Splendid!
Code:
find / -name "*.txt" -exec grep -H mykeyword {} \;
works. Thanks.
You're welcome, feel free to mark my post as helpful and mark this thread as solved ;) ;)


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