While most Linux file managers have a built-in search function, they can be slow and very basic. For users who need to find files and folders instantly across multiple drives, a dedicated search tool that uses an index is essential. FSearch is an excellent application that builds a database of your files, delivering instantaneous results and supporting powerful search syntax to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
Table of Contents
Getting Started with FSearch
First, you need to install FSearch. For Ubuntu and its derivatives, you can add the program’s official repository and install it with the following commands in your terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:christian-boxdoerfer/fsearch-stable sudo apt update sudo apt install fsearch
For other distributions, check the FSearch website for installation instructions. Once installed, FSearch is accessible via your applications launcher.
Configuring the Database
When you first launch FSearch, it will default to indexing only your home folder. If you store files on other drives or in different locations, you need to add them to the database.
- Go to Edit > Preferences and select the Database tab.
- Click the + button under the ‘Include’ section to add the folders or entire drives you wish to index.
- You can also use the ‘Exclude’ section to prevent specific folders (like hidden folders) or file types from being indexed.
- By default, FSearch updates its index only when you launch the program. If you keep the application open for long periods, you can configure it to update periodically by ticking ‘Update every’ and setting a time interval.
Performing Searches
Once your database is built, simply start typing in the search bar. Results will appear instantaneously as you type.
Using Filters
To the right of the search bar is a dropdown menu that allows you to filter results by file type, such as Folders, Files, Documents, Pictures, and Videos. You can also invoke these filters directly from the search bar using a macro. For example, to search only for documents containing ‘LXF’, you would type: doc: LXF.
Advanced Search with Wildcards
FSearch supports wildcards to help you find files when you don’t remember the exact name.
- Use
*to substitute for multiple characters (e.g.,wh*finds ‘what’ and ‘why’). - Use
?to substitute for a single character (e.g.,w?vfinds ‘wav’ but not ‘wave’). - Use square brackets
[]to specify a range of characters (e.g.,c[ae]llfinds ‘call’ and ‘cell’).
FSearch also supports more advanced boolean operators and even regular expressions (RegEx) for highly complex search patterns.
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