An explanation of how to use the locate command on a Mac, which allows you to search for files quickly!

My name is Ito, and I'm an infrastructure engineer who uses both Mac and Windows.

When it comes to file search functions on Macs, Spotlight search is the best! However, using the Spotlight function alone, you can't find configuration files in deep layers...

The "locate" command can be used in such cases. You can create an index database of files and search files quickly.
Although it is necessary to create and update the file index database, it is much faster compared to the find command.
By the way, the find command searches and displays files in real time, so it's not that fast.

So let's use the locate command to find the file! But I thought that, I couldn't use the locate command right away on my Mac...
This time, I'll show you how to use the locate command on my Mac.

locate on Mac

I got mad at this kind of thing.

Well, I think that since I haven't used the updatedb command, I'm told that there's no updatedb command...

Then, read again what is written in the locate command.

WARNING: The locate database (/var/db/locate.database) does not exist. To create the database, run the following command: sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.locate.plist Please be aware that the database can take some time to generate; once the database has been created, this message will no longer appear.

A simple translation

Note! locate database does not exist.
To create a database, execute the following command.

  sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.locate.plist

That's what it means. It wasn't the updatedb command.
So let's try doing the command as you say it.

I was worried after a moment, so I did it again.

It seems like a database is being created behind the scenes.

It depends on the capacity of your Mac, so I can't say for sure, but try using the locate command again after about 5 minutes.

The locate command returns results.
Isn't there rsyncd.conf? I'll write another article about this.

Now you can find library files that cannot be found even with the Spotlight feature!

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