Find a lost file [Solved]

Can some help me with an 'understandable' (for a very new Linux user) description of how to find a file I have put somewhere on my SD card.

I suspect I should be using the "find" command but to be frank having read the help text I a basically more confused than when I started. Essentially I just want to perform a search for '*.jpg' files across the whole SD card so I can locate the files location.

Thanks
Post edit Gert: changed the subject text so it is easier to find for others.

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apt-get install mlocate

once installed

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updatedb

then you can look for files

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locate myfile.jpg

The problem with locate is that you are likely to need to run updatedb every time. I guess most people aren't keeping their raspis on all day in a server fashion.

It is better to just use find.

Find all the jpgs anywhere on the system

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 find / -name *.jpg

Find all the jpgs anywhere in the home directory and below

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 find /home -name *.jpg

If you are one of those people who sometimes uses capitals then use -iname

Find all the files owned by the user andyl in /home and below

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find /home -user andyl

Find all the files modified more than 6 days ago

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 find / -mtime +6

Plus find can do a lot more - including running a command against each of these files.

I agree find is more powerful, but I use nether very often and can never remember the syntax for find.. plus I'm lazy...

Thanks for this - have found the lost cat picture thanks - daughter happy

[Gert van Loo]

I thought you always have to put quotes around the wild cards:
find / -name "*.jpg" -print
(I know , the -print is no longer required. It is an old left-over from my Unix days.
But I have typed that command soooo many time it just comes out automatically).

I thought you always have to put quotes around the wild cards:
find / -name "*.jpg" -print
(I know , the -print is no longer required. It is an old left-over from my Unix days.
But I have typed that command soooo many time it just comes out automatically).

Well to be absolutely correct then yes you are right - you will need to escape the glob pattern.

However if (and only if) the current directory doesn't contain anything matching the glob pattern then the entire pattern gets passed to find.

I guess I should really have added the quotes (or escaping) in my previous answer.