How to use the whereis command effectively in Linux

How to use the whereis command correctly in Linux

In the Linux system, the whereis command is a utility tool used to locate executable files, source code files and help documents. Using the whereis command can help users quickly find the location of specific files in the system and improve work efficiency. This article will introduce in detail how to use the whereis command correctly in Linux and provide specific code examples.

1. Basic syntax

The basic syntax of the whereis command is as follows:

whereis [选项] 文件名称

Among them, the file name can be the name of an executable file, a source code file, or a help document. Here are some of the commonly used options:

• -b: Find only executable files.
• -m: Only search help files.
• -s: Only search source files.
• -u: Find other files not in the default path /var/lib/locate/locatedb.

2. Practical application

Example 1: Find executable files

Assume we want to find the location of the ls command in the system, we can Use the following command:

whereis ls

After executing the above command, the system will return the path of the ls command in the system, for example:

ls: /bin/ls /usr/share/man/man1/ls.1.gz

This indicates that the executable file of the ls command is located in /bin/ls , and there is also a help file located in /usr/share/man/man1/ls.1.gz.

Example 2: Find the source code file

If we want to find the source code file of a certain command in the system, we can use the following command:

whereis -s gcc

Above The command will search for the source code files of the gcc command in the system and return the result, for example:

gcc: /usr/bin/gcc /usr/lib/gcc /usr/share/gcc-data

This indicates that the source code files of the gcc command in the system are located in /usr/bin/gcc and /usr/lib/gcc. and /usr/share/gcc-data.

3. Conclusion

Through the introduction of this article, I believe that readers have mastered the correct use of the whereis command in Linux. The whereis command is a very practical tool that plays an important role in finding system files. Readers can flexibly use the whereis command according to specific needs to improve work efficiency.

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