[SOLVED] Question on optimizing Catfish searches re updatedb.conf file.

Hi.

I only ever want to search for files in my home directory and not my root folder.

I use the Catfish GUI app.

What should I keep/remove from /etc/updatedb.conf? Below is my current file - I removed "/media". Is it worth editing this file at all?

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

I am unfamiliar with catfish and no nothing about its configuration but I know it can use several search utilities like find and locate. If you just choose find I assume that you can define the search directories?

The updatedb command scan starts at / by default. You can change the cron job that runs updatedb so it only scans your home directory.

It is also possible to create a private updatedb database but do not know if catfish has that configuration capability.

Just a hint ....

PRUNEPATHS="/tmp /var/spool /var/lib/os-prober /var/lib/ceph"

I'm not nativ english speacker,
but "PRUNE" sounds me like cut or exclude,

so may be if you put here every paths you wont search ....

... it could do it ???

even is there a quicker way => nothing but your own directory ?

a kind of negation

Hope, could be helpfull !

Originally Posted by dezix Just a hint .... PRUNEPATHS="/tmp /var/spool /var/lib/os-prober /var/lib/ceph" I'm not nativ english speacker, but "PRUNE" sounds me like cut or exclude, so may be if you put here every paths you wont search .... ... it could do it ??? even is there a quicker way => nothing but your own directory ? a kind of negation Hope, could be helpfull !

Hi dezix.

Ah, so maybe just change:

PRUNEPATHS="/tmp /var/spool /var/lib/os-prober /var/lib/ceph"

to

PRUNEPATHS="/"

PRUNEPATHS="/"

If you do so you will skip everything

you have to retrieve the paths you want not index by locate

do

ls -ap1 /

and make a choice


But I don't really understand "why" you want that,
since Catfish lets you choose where to search and the user directory is the default.

Just to save time when updating the database ???

Originally Posted by dezix If you do so you will skip everything you have to retrieve the paths you want not index by locate do ls -ap1 / and make a choice But I don't really understand "why" you want that, since Catfish lets you choose where to search and the user directory is the default. Just to save time when updating the database ???

I think the time saving in updating the database would be nominal so I think I'll just leave it as it is.

Originally Posted by linustalman I think the time saving in updating the database would be nominal so I think I'll just leave it as it is.

May be you have a lot of stuff you won't to search...

It's not my way,

but I put all my docs (300 Go) into a separated part mounted on

/data

this way it must be easy to skip all those files while updating the locate DB

... but what happen when I want to find something here ?


So certainly you're doing well letting things as they are

Best regards !

Thanks for the advice, dezix & michaelk.