How to only get file name with Linux "find"?

Cover Image for How to only get file name with Linux "find"?
Matheus Mello
Matheus Mello
published a few days ago. updated a few hours ago

💻📜✅ Get File Names with Linux 'find': A Quick and Easy Guide! 💡🔍

Are you tired of sifting through a long list of file paths when using the 'find' command in Linux? We've got you covered! In this guide, we'll show you a simple and efficient way to extract just the file names using the 'find' command. Let's dive in! 🏊‍♀️💦

The Problem:

So, you're using the 'find' command to search for files in a directory. However, instead of getting just the file names, you end up with a lengthy list of file paths. 😫

For example, you might be expecting to find only file.txt, but you get ./dir1/dir2/file.txt instead. This makes it difficult to work with the desired files efficiently. 😤

The Solution:

Luckily, there's a neat trick to extract only the file names from the 'find' command output. 🎩✨

find path/to/directory -type f -exec basename {} \;

Now, let's break this down step by step:

  1. Start with the find command followed by the path to the directory you want to search in.

    • Replace path/to/directory with the actual directory path. 📂🔍

  2. Use the -type f option to filter for files only. This ensures that directories and other non-file entities are excluded from the search results. 📄🗑

  3. Add the -exec option to execute another command, which is basename in this case. The basename command extracts the file name from each file path.

    • Make sure to include {} as a placeholder, which represents the current file being processed by -exec. 🔄✏️

  4. Finally, end the command with \; to indicate the termination of the -exec command.

Example Usage:

Let's see the 'find' command in action with an example:

find /home/user/documents -type f -exec basename {} \;

In this example, we're searching for files in the /home/user/documents directory and extracting only the file names. The result will be a clean list of file names without any paths. 🌟📝

Call-to-Action: Share Your Thoughts! 📣📝

Now that you have this handy trick up your sleeve, go ahead and give it a try! 💪✨

💬 Have you encountered similar issues when using the 'find' command? How did you overcome them? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments section below! 👇🗯️

Remember, sharing is caring! If you found this guide helpful, spread the knowledge by sharing it with your fellow Linux enthusiasts! 🚀🌟

Happy 'find'ing, and may your file name extraction endeavors be smooth and efficient! 🎉🚀


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