Finding Files with find and fd

Beginnerv1.0.0

Locate files efficiently with find and fd — name patterns, type filters, size and date criteria, exec actions, and building file discovery workflows for large directory trees.

Content

Overview

find is the universal file locator on Unix systems. fd is its modern, faster alternative. Both search directory trees by name, type, size, date, permissions, and more — then execute actions on matches.

Why This Matters

-Code navigation — find specific files in large projects
-Cleanup — locate and remove temp files, old logs, large files
-Automation — find files matching criteria and process them
-Auditing — check permissions, ownership, and file ages

How It Works

Step 1: find Basics

bash

# By name (case-sensitive)
find . -name "*.ts"
find /var/log -name "*.log"

# Case-insensitive
find . -iname "readme*"

# By type
find . -type f                    # files only
find . -type d                    # directories only
find . -type l                    # symlinks only

# Exclude directories
find . -path ./node_modules -prune -o -name "*.ts" -print
find . -not -path "*/node_modules/*" -name "*.ts"

Step 2: Advanced Filters

bash

# By size
find . -size +100M                # larger than 100MB
find . -size -1k                  # smaller than 1KB
find /tmp -size +10M -size -1G    # between 10MB and 1GB

# By date
find . -mtime -7                  # modified in last 7 days
find . -mtime +30                 # modified more than 30 days ago
find . -newer reference.txt       # newer than reference file

# By permissions
find . -perm 777                  # exact permissions
find . -perm -u+x                # user executable
find /home -not -user root        # not owned by root

# Combine with AND/OR
find . -name "*.log" -size +10M
find . -name "*.jpg" -o -name "*.png"   # OR
find . \( -name "*.ts" -o -name "*.tsx" \) -newer src/index.ts

Step 3: Execute Actions

bash

# Execute command on each match
find . -name "*.tmp" -exec rm {} \;

# Execute with confirmation
find . -name "*.bak" -ok rm {} \;

# Batch execution (faster)
find . -name "*.log" -exec gzip {} +

# Print with custom format
find . -name "*.ts" -printf "%p %s bytes\n"

# Pipe to xargs for parallel execution
find . -name "*.jpg" -print0 | xargs -0 -P4 jpegoptim

Step 4: fd — Modern Alternative

bash

# Simple search (smart case, respects .gitignore)
fd "*.ts"
fd readme

# By type
fd -t f pattern          # files
fd -t d pattern          # directories

# By extension
fd -e ts -e tsx

# Exclude patterns
fd -E node_modules -E dist "*.ts"

# Execute
fd -e log -x gzip {}
fd -e tmp -X rm          # batch execution

# With size filter
fd -S +1m -e log

Best Practices

-Use fd for interactive use (faster, simpler, respects .gitignore)
-Use find for scripts (available everywhere, more options)
-Always use -print0 with xargs -0 for safe filename handling
-Use -exec ... + (batch) over -exec ... \; (per-file) when possible
-Prune large directories early for performance

Common Mistakes

-Not pruning node_modules/vendor (slow search)
-Using -exec \; when + works (spawns process per file)
-Missing -print0 with filenames containing spaces
-Forgetting to escape parentheses: \( ... \)
-Not using -maxdepth to limit search depth

FAQ

Discussion

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How It Works

Step 1: find Basics

bash

# By name (case-sensitive)
find . -name "*.ts"
find /var/log -name "*.log"

# Case-insensitive
find . -iname "readme*"

# By type
find . -type f                    # files only
find . -type d                    # directories only
find . -type l                    # symlinks only

# Exclude directories
find . -path ./node_modules -prune -o -name "*.ts" -print
find . -not -path "*/node_modules/*" -name "*.ts"

Step 2: Advanced Filters

bash

# By size
find . -size +100M                # larger than 100MB
find . -size -1k                  # smaller than 1KB
find /tmp -size +10M -size -1G    # between 10MB and 1GB

# By date
find . -mtime -7                  # modified in last 7 days
find . -mtime +30                 # modified more than 30 days ago
find . -newer reference.txt       # newer than reference file

# By permissions
find . -perm 777                  # exact permissions
find . -perm -u+x                # user executable
find /home -not -user root        # not owned by root

# Combine with AND/OR
find . -name "*.log" -size +10M
find . -name "*.jpg" -o -name "*.png"   # OR
find . \( -name "*.ts" -o -name "*.tsx" \) -newer src/index.ts

Step 3: Execute Actions

bash

# Execute command on each match
find . -name "*.tmp" -exec rm {} \;

# Execute with confirmation
find . -name "*.bak" -ok rm {} \;

# Batch execution (faster)
find . -name "*.log" -exec gzip {} +

# Print with custom format
find . -name "*.ts" -printf "%p %s bytes\n"

# Pipe to xargs for parallel execution
find . -name "*.jpg" -print0 | xargs -0 -P4 jpegoptim

Step 4: fd — Modern Alternative

bash

# Simple search (smart case, respects .gitignore)
fd "*.ts"
fd readme

# By type
fd -t f pattern          # files
fd -t d pattern          # directories

# By extension
fd -e ts -e tsx

# Exclude patterns
fd -E node_modules -E dist "*.ts"

# Execute
fd -e log -x gzip {}
fd -e tmp -X rm          # batch execution

# With size filter
fd -S +1m -e log