updatedb / locate doesn't appear to work
 

locate is not finding files that i know are there.
i've done an updatedb.
i've tried it both as root and as a regular user.

the files are on a hard drive at /mnt/bdrive/this/that/and/so/on

is there something special i must do with files under /mnt/?

I don't know if updatedb will scan mounted devices; I don't think it'd index removable media. It'd be great if someone can confirm or deny this.

according to this:
http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Updatedb
you have to explicitly _exclude_ /mnt if you don't want it

It's quite simple, really. If you want partitions and devices such as zip/cd media included in the locatedb, the partitions must be mounted at the time updatedb is run; the media must be in the drive and mounted if you want it (them) included in the locatedb.

Having said that, if you want files from /mnt/bdrive/this/that/and/so/on included in the locatedb, then /mnt/bdrive must be mounted when the updatedb command is run. If it is not mounted, updatedb won't see it, and won't include it in the locatedb.

Please note that there's TWO DIFFERENT tools out
there. There's locate/updatedb and slocate/updatedb.

The latter uses a configuration file (/etc/updatedb.conf) and
in the distros that I've come across /mnt is in the PRUNE_PATH
section, which means that updatedb won't touch it.


Cheers,
Tink

Suse doesn't have slocate, darnit.
I see that KDE has a front end called klocate, but when i try to install that rpm, i end up in dependency hell.