[SOLVED] Search a list of files for a pattern

Weapon S · 12-10-2012, 03:47 AM

I've tried this:
find / -type f -iname "*.txt" 2> /dev/null | xargs grep --ignore-case mypattern
Then I tried first redirecting the find results into a file and running:
xargs -a /tmp/findtext.txt grep --ignore-case mypattern

It constantly gives me: (excuse the Dutch)

Code:

xargs: Ongepaard enkel aanhalingsteken; aanhalingstekens worden door 'xargs'
speciaal behandeld tenzij u optie '-0' gebruikt.
grep: /home/user/[: Bestand of map bestaat niet
grep: www.Speed.Cd: Bestand of map bestaat niet
grep: ]: Bestand of map bestaat niet
grep: 'lseek' is mislukt: Ongeldige 'seek'-opdracht
grep: Mr.Freedom.1969.ECLiPSE.DVDRiP.XViD.iNT-DeBTXViD/www.Speed.Cd.txt: Bestand of map bestaat niet
grep: /home/user/Bureaublad/JonasMap/verslag/Castles: Bestand of map bestaat niet
[etc. etc.]

("Bestand bestaat niet" = "File doesn't exist"
Start says: "unpaired single quote; quotes are treated special, unless you pass the '-0' option"
)
The start of the search results look like this:

Code:

/tmp/findtext.txt
/etc/X11/rgb.txt
/home/user/[ www.Speed.Cd ] - Mr.Freedom.1969.ECLiPSE.DVDRiP.XViD.iNT-DeBTXViD/www.Speed.Cd.txt
/home/user/.TeXworks/configuration/auto-indent-patterns.txt
/home/user/.TeXworks/configuration/smart-quotes-modes.txt
/home/user/.TeXworks/configuration/syntax-patterns.txt
/home/user/.TeXworks/configuration/tag-patterns.txt
/home/user/.TeXworks/configuration/texworks-config.txt
/home/user/.TeXworks/configuration/delimiter-pairs.txt
/home/user/.TeXworks/completion/tw-basic.txt

What is the correct command line to use? Google isn't very helpful. Now that I take a closer look at it, it actually seems to process some files.

colucix · 12-10-2012, 03:52 AM

To avoid problems with blank spaces you can try the -print0 action of find and the related -0 option of xargs. In this way the list of files will be separated by a null character and the spaces are considered as part of the file name, as it should be. Example:

Code:

find / -type f -iname "*.txt" -print0 2> /dev/null | xargs -0 grep --ignore-case mypattern

Hope this helps.

Weapon S · 12-11-2012, 09:56 AM

Thank you. Works like a charm! I've also discovered there is a -exec option on find, which works.