Locate Cheatsheet

Syntax

locate [OPTIONS] PATTERN [PATTERN...]

Core Flags

Flag	Purpose
-i	Case insensitive
-b	Basename only (not full path)
-e	Verify each result exists right now
-c	Count results only (no listing)
-n N	Show only first N results
-0	Null-byte separated output (safe for pipes)
-r / --regex	Use regex instead of substring
-S	Show database statistics
-d FILE	Use a specific database file

Pattern Tricks

Goal	Pattern
Substring (default)	locate nginx
Exact basename	locate -b "\nginx.conf"
Regex	locate --regex "\.conf$"
Case insensitive	locate -i readme
Multiple AND	locate nginx conf

Quick Reference Recipes

# Find php.ini anywhere
locate php.ini

# Only show files that actually exist
locate -e nginx.conf

# Exact file name (not substring)
locate -b "\php.ini"

# Case insensitive
locate -i "README"

# Count results
locate -c "*.log"

# Limit output
locate -n 10 "config"

# Regex: files ending in .yml or .yaml
locate --regex "\.(yml|yaml)$"

# After installing: refresh database
sudo updatedb

# Safe pipeline (handles spaces in paths)
locate -0 -e "*.conf" | xargs -0 grep "listen"

# Find where a binary lives
locate -b "\ffmpeg" | grep "/bin/"

# Database stats
locate -S

The Freshness Rule

Always remember

If you just created a file and locate can't find it, run sudo updatedb first. If you need 100% real-time accuracy, use find or fd instead.