[SOLVED] locate command not working properly

mark_alfred · 09-19-2016, 05:34 PM

Hello. I have Ubuntu 16.04 on a small laptop. For some reason the locate command isn't working right. As an example, I created a text file named "test123.txt" which I put on my Desktop. I tried locate but it didn't work (see below).

Code:

mark@mark-N150-N210-N220:~$ cd Desktop
mark@mark-N150-N210-N220:~/Desktop$ ls test123.txt
test123.txt
mark@mark-N150-N210-N220:~/Desktop$ sudo updatedb
[sudo] password for mark: 
mark@mark-N150-N210-N220:~/Desktop$ locate test123.txt
mark@mark-N150-N210-N220:~/Desktop$

It used to work for me in the past. I'm not sure what's wrong.

I have mlocate installed.

keefaz · 09-19-2016, 06:55 PM

check your /etc/updatedb.conf config file, see if your directory is not excluded in PRUNEPATHS, or filesystem in PRUNEFS

mark_alfred · 09-19-2016, 07:09 PM

Here's what the file says,

Code:

PRUNE_BIND_MOUNTS="yes"
# PRUNENAMES=".git .bzr .hg .svn"
PRUNEPATHS="/tmp /var/spool /media /home/.ecryptfs /var/lib/schroot"
PRUNEFS="NFS nfs nfs4 rpc_pipefs afs binfmt_misc proc smbfs autofs iso9660 ncpfs coda devpts ftpfs devfs mfs shfs sysfs cifs lustre tmpfs usbfs udf fuse.glusterfs fuse.sshfs curlftpfs ecryptfs fusesmb devtmpfs"

I'm not sure if this means my directory is excluded or not.

The file /home/.ecryptfs is a link to /home/.ecryptfs/mark/.ecryptfs.

michaelk · 09-19-2016, 07:18 PM

redacted... totally unrelated.

mark_alfred · 09-19-2016, 07:25 PM

Hmm. When I set first installed Ubuntu, it asked if I wanted to either encrypt the entire computer or just the home directory or just leave it unencrypted. I didn't really know, so I chose the middle option. I'm wondering if the home directory being encrypted is causing this. It will find files in directories outside of the home directory. If this is causing it, is there a way to fix this?

michaelk · 09-19-2016, 07:36 PM

Totally off the mark here, was not paying enough attention...

Yep, makes sense it isn't included since it is in prunepaths and prunefs

mark_alfred · 09-19-2016, 07:51 PM

I did solve this. I removed "ecryptfs" from PRUNEFS listings in the file /etc/updatedb.conf, and now locate works on my home directory as well as the rest of the computer. Hopefully that fix doesn't screw something else up. But anyway, seems locate now works.

keefaz · 09-20-2016, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_alfred

I did solve this. I removed "ecryptfs" from PRUNEFS listings in the file /etc/updatedb.conf, and now locate works on my home directory as well as the rest of the computer. Hopefully that fix doesn't screw something else up. But anyway, seems locate now works.

That will not screw something, updatedb just records files paths in a database.

However maybe there was a reason to exclude ecryptfs, eg: to keep file listings private for encrypted directories

mark_alfred · 09-21-2016, 09:01 AM

Thanks. Good to know.

In future when setting up a computer I likely should choose to encrypt the entire thing. I suspect it would mean I'd have to deal with an additional (and long) password to access the computer, though.