Chapter 3. Using XLocate
You can see in the screenshot below how easy it is to spot the files you are looking for amidst a huge collection of volumes of any sort.
Screenshot of XLocate's main window
3.1. The volume list
Here are listed all the database files you created. Those files all have the extension ".ro" (for read-only) or ".rw" (for read-write). They are usually stored in /var/lib/xlocate, but you can change this default in your xlocaterc file. See Section 2.3. One or more volumes must be selected before you perform a search.
A right-mouse menu is defined in this list with three options
- Delete DB
Physically delete the index file. Of course the entry in the volume list will go away as well. You will be prompted for confirmation.
- Rename DB
Change the filename of the index file. The entry in the volume list will reflect that change. You will be prompted for confirmation.
- DB file info
Check the stats about the database file. This might be useful in case of permissions issues, or to check when the DB file was last updated. You also can see if the file is a link, in which case the link's target will be indicated.
The first time you use XLocate, the volume list might well be empty. Once you have configured your ~/.qt/xlocaterc file e.g. by clicking on the Options button (see Section 2.1), you will be able to create database files by clicking on the Update button (see Section 3.7).