translating by lujun9972 How to find all files with a specific text using Linux shell ------ ### Objective The following article provides some useful tips on how to find all files within any specific directory or entire file-system containing any specific word or string. ### Difficulty EASY ### Conventions * # - requires given command to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command * $ - given command to be executed as a regular non-privileged user ### Examples ### Find all files with a specific string non-recursively The first command example will search for a string `stretch` in all files within `/etc/` directory while excluding any sub-directories: ``` # grep -s stretch /etc/* /etc/os-release:PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)" /etc/os-release:VERSION="9 (stretch)" ``` `-s` grep option will suppress error messages about nonexistent or unreadable files. The output shows filenames as well as prints the actual line containing requested string. ### Find all files with a specific string recursively The above command omitted all sub-directories. To search recursively means to also traverse all sub-directories. The following command will search for a string `stretch` in all files within `/etc/` directory including all sub-directories: ``` # grep -R stretch /etc/* /etc/apt/sources.list:# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Stretch_ - Official Snapshot amd64 NETINST Binary-1 20170109-05:56]/ stretch main /etc/apt/sources.list:#deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Stretch_ - Official Snapshot amd64 NETINST Binary-1 20170109-05:56]/ stretch main /etc/apt/sources.list:deb http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/ stretch main /etc/apt/sources.list:deb-src http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/ stretch main /etc/apt/sources.list:deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates main /etc/apt/sources.list:deb-src http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates main /etc/dictionaries-common/words:backstretch /etc/dictionaries-common/words:backstretch's /etc/dictionaries-common/words:backstretches /etc/dictionaries-common/words:homestretch /etc/dictionaries-common/words:homestretch's /etc/dictionaries-common/words:homestretches /etc/dictionaries-common/words:outstretch /etc/dictionaries-common/words:outstretched /etc/dictionaries-common/words:outstretches /etc/dictionaries-common/words:outstretching /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretch /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretch's /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretched /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretcher /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretcher's /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretchers /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretches /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretchier /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretchiest /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretching /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretchy /etc/grub.d/00_header:background_image -m stretch `make_system_path_relative_to_its_root "$GRUB_BACKGROUND"` /etc/os-release:PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)" /etc/os-release:VERSION="9 (stretch)" ``` The above `grep` command example lists all files containing string `stretch` . Meaning the lines with `stretches` , `stretched` etc. are also shown. Use grep's `-w` option to show only a specific word: ``` # grep -Rw stretch /etc/* /etc/apt/sources.list:# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Stretch_ - Official Snapshot amd64 NETINST Binary-1 20170109-05:56]/ stretch main /etc/apt/sources.list:#deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Stretch_ - Official Snapshot amd64 NETINST Binary-1 20170109-05:56]/ stretch main /etc/apt/sources.list:deb http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/ stretch main /etc/apt/sources.list:deb-src http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/ stretch main /etc/apt/sources.list:deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates main /etc/apt/sources.list:deb-src http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates main /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretch /etc/dictionaries-common/words:stretch's /etc/grub.d/00_header:background_image -m stretch `make_system_path_relative_to_its_root "$GRUB_BACKGROUND"` /etc/os-release:PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)" /etc/os-release:VERSION="9 (stretch)" ``` The above commands may produce an unnecessary output. The next example will only show all file names containing string `stretch` within `/etc/` directory recursively: ``` # grep -Rl stretch /etc/* /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/dictionaries-common/words /etc/grub.d/00_header /etc/os-release ``` All searches are by default case sensitive which means that any search for a string `stretch` will only show files containing the exact uppercase and lowercase match. By using grep's `-i` option the command will also list any lines containing `Stretch` , `STRETCH` , `StReTcH` etc., hence, to perform case-insensitive search. ``` # grep -Ril stretch /etc/* /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/dictionaries-common/default.hash /etc/dictionaries-common/words /etc/grub.d/00_header /etc/os-release ``` Using `grep` command it is also possible to include only specific files as part of the search. For example we only would like to search for a specific text/string within configuration files with extension `.conf` . The next example will find all files with extension `.conf` within `/etc` directory containing string `bash` : ``` # grep -Ril bash /etc/*.conf OR # grep -Ril --include=\*.conf bash /etc/* /etc/adduser.conf ``` `--exclude` option we can exclude any specific filenames: ``` # grep -Ril --exclude=\*.conf bash /etc/* /etc/alternatives/view /etc/alternatives/vim /etc/alternatives/vi /etc/alternatives/vimdiff /etc/alternatives/rvim /etc/alternatives/ex /etc/alternatives/rview /etc/bash.bashrc /etc/bash_completion.d/grub /etc/cron.daily/apt-compat /etc/cron.daily/exim4-base /etc/dictionaries-common/default.hash /etc/dictionaries-common/words /etc/inputrc /etc/passwd /etc/passwd- /etc/profile /etc/shells /etc/skel/.profile /etc/skel/.bashrc /etc/skel/.bash_logout ``` Same as with files grep can also exclude specific directories from the search. Use `--exclude-dir` option to exclude directory from search. The following search example will find all files containing string `stretch` within `/etc` directory and exclude `/etc/grub.d` from search: ``` # grep --exclude-dir=/etc/grub.d -Rwl stretch /etc/* /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/dictionaries-common/words /etc/os-release ``` By using `-n` option grep will also provide an information regarding a line number where the specific string was found: ``` # grep -Rni bash /etc/*.conf /etc/adduser.conf:6:DSHELL=/bin/bash ``` The last example will use `-v` option to list all files NOT containing a specific keyword. For example the following search will list all files within `/etc/` directory which do not contain string `stretch` : ``` # grep -Rlv stretch /etc/* ``` -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- via: https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-find-all-files-with-a-specific-text-using-linux-shell 作者：[Lubos Rendek][a] 译者：[lujun9972](https://github.com/lujun9972) 校对：[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID) 本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出 [a]:https://linuxconfig.org