1. NAME

mlocate.db - a mlocate database

2. DESCRIPTION

A mlocate database starts with a file header: 8 bytes for a magic number ("\\0mlocate" like a C literal), 4 bytes for the configuration blocksize in big endian, 1 byte for file format version (0), 1 byte for the \*« require visibility\* » flag (0 or 1), 2 bytes padding, and a \f(SMNUL\fR-terminated path name of the root of the database. The header is followed by a configuration block, included to ensure databases are not reused if some configuration changes could affect their contents. The size of the configuration block in bytes is stored in the file header. The configuration block is a sequence of variable assignments, ordered by variable name. Each variable assignmentconsists of a \f(SMNUL\fR-terminated variable name and an ordered list of \f(SMNUL\fR-terminated values. The value list is terminated by one more NUL character. The ordering used is defined by the

strcmp () function. Currently defined variables are:

  • prune_bind_mounts
        A single entry, the value of \fbPRUNE_BIND_MOUNTS\fR; one of the strings

0 or 1.

  • prunefs
        The value of PRUNEFS, each entry is converted to uppercase.
  • prunepaths
        The value of PRUNEPATHS.

The rest of the file until EOF describes directories and their contents. Each directory starts with a header: 8 bytes for directory time(seconds) in big endian, 4 bytes for directory time(nanoseconds) in big endian (0 if unknown, less than 1,000,000,000), 4 bytes padding, and a \f(SMNUL\fR-terminated path name of the the directory. Directory contents, a sequence of file entriessorted by name, follow. Directory timeis the maximum of

st_ctime and

st_mtime of the directory.

R updatedb (8) uses the original data if the directory timein the database and in the file system match exactly. Directory timeequal to 0 always causes rescanning of the directory: this is necessary to handle directories which were being updated while building the database. Each file entrystarts with a single byte, marking its type:

  • 0
        A non-directory file. Followed by a \f(SMNUL\fR-terminated file (not path) name.
  • 1
        A subdirectory. Followed by a \f(SMNUL\fR-terminated file (not path) name.
  • 2
        Marks the end of the current directory.

R locate(1) only reports file entries, directory names are not reported because they are reported as an entry in their parent directory. The only exception is the root directory of the database, which is stored in the file header.

3. AUTHOR

Miloslav Trmac <>

4. SEE ALSO

R locate (1),

R updatedb.conf (5),

R updatedb (8)