Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[Bruce B]

findutils_4.2.20-1

www.gnu.org/software/findutils/findutils.html

findutils.pup packaged by Bruce B on June 12, 2005

The tools supplied with this package are:

* find - search for files in a directory hierarchy
* locate - list files in databases that match a pattern
* updatedb - update a file name database
* xargs - build and execute command lines from standard input
* sort 2.0 - an additional utility with necessary options to support findutils


Note: This version seems to do a good job of finding files in
vfat partitions, unlike previous versions.

Note: This first release had a problem - please download findutils2.pup further down in this thread.

[Lobster]

Seemed to install OK

I am typing in "locate myfile.txt"
and getting a complete listing of the database (which I built) but that seems all?

Am I doing something wrong?

[Rich]

You and me both Lobster.
Install goes fine, everything that's mentioned in the man page is there and where it should be, but it seems the 'locate' command just lists the database rather than searching it and providing a filtered output.
Could something be missing or in the wrong directory ?

[Bruce B]

Thanks for the feedback and sorry. It works fine for me and I tested it many times before uploading it.

However, I will go over everything tonight and see if I can find the problem.

I'll be back.

EDIT - I'm back

I manually uninstalled findutils and reinstalled it using the dotpup in this thread. It worked fine.

Puppy had three files which are not adequate for findutils:

1) sort
2) find
3) xargs

Findutils needs more powerful versions of these files and they are included. Updatedb is a script and has absolute paths to sort and find. For this reason Puppy's sort and find don't get in the way, even though they come earlier in the path statement.

I'm curious of you would do

# which xargs

to see where it is located. It should be in /usr/bin, the size should be 20600.

In any event the paths are extremely important for this utility, because we don't want to run Puppy's same name files which would occur if the updatedb script didn't have absolute paths for find and sort.

Maybe you could try rebuilding the database. A quick way to do it is specify one directory for testing.

# updatedb --localpaths=/root

[Lobster]

for now this:

/usr/bin/xargs (for the which xargs)

this is potentially a very useful set of programs - so thanks for finding and persevering

Did you install the extra progs in the above dot pup that you updated?
The below is (part) of the output I am getting after rebuilding the database . . .
the command was locate vtcl.tcl
and the oupput enclosed is the last part

Are we getting closer?


==========

[Bruce B]

I seem to have fixed it. The basic problem was busybox's utilities didn't have the features necessary for findutils.

I was able to read the updatedb script and make the necessary changes to use the proper utilities.

Locate is a binary file and I could not read it. As it worked out locate was using busybox's sort utility and it was not working properly.

Please download the attached file and manually copy updatedb and sort to /usr/bin

You will be overwritting both files which is the old updatedb with modified paths and the sort link to busybox with a full version sort 2.0

Try again and report back. I will make an updated dotpup as soon as I learn of your success.

Thanks for your patience.

[Lobster]

more or less the same after placing the files in the /usr/bin directory

I also ran the updatedb again to see if that was a problem
I got this - which may mean something wrong with my system (though it relates to leafpad . . .

[Bruce B]

Lobster, actually that is not a problem with updatedb, it is just giving feedback about the system as it sees it.

Just let it run and see if locate works fine, if you please?

If you want to only process user defined directories rather than the entire system you could use commands such as.

updatedb --localpaths='/bin /root /usr /etc /mnt /sbin'

This way it will only search exactly where you specify.

[Lobster]

sorry did not make this clear - did a locate and it is the same as before, getting the whole of the database . . .

[Bruce B]

Fine, thanks for you patience and FEEDBACK, I'll fix it so it works right for you.

Somehow - someway.

Will probably be several hours from now because other things to do. I just made an ELinks dotpup, will you test it for me (us).

[Lobster]

elinks working fine
You star!
Now you have to tell us lesser mortals the whole process . . .

[Rich]

Back on topic........
Just downloaded and installed the patch files for Findutils.
From the original install, I learned that nothing worked without a reboot anyway, so I rebooted the system, deleted the old locatedb database file ( the one in /root ) and ran updatedb again.

I got the same strange message that Lobster got ( which I didn't get originally ), but let it run it's course. Generating the initial database takes a minute or 2 so be patient here.

Then tried the 'locate gimp' opening gambit and it worked !
I can now locate files, all sorts of files !

Cheers Bruce

[Lobster]

He is right, that Rich is right . . .

All working [ahem . . . my fault again . . . ] I don't think I waited long enough for the updatedb to do its work.

So I ran it again.
And it works!

Two dotpups in one day - we expect great things from you now Bruce

LOL

Good job everyone.

Lets Frisk and jump about. Puppy Rules.

[Lobster]

It must be the swoon season. Locate is very useful - very. However we seem to have quite a big upgrade for what it is doing. Is there space in Puppy? I hope so. . .

[Bruce B]

According to your feedback and my testing the problem with findutils, locate using busybox's sort is fixed.

If you already patched it with the kit I provided there is no reason to run this version.

If you do run it - it will add two redundant lines to:

/etc/rc.d/rc.local

However, you might want to download this attachment and save it for future Puppy installations.

Thanks for your patience and help.