Find files by name in Bash

ls only sees the current folder. find walks a whole tree. Start in . (here), then add -name or -type so the result is usable.

Windows has a different find that searches inside file text. In Bash, find searches the filesystem by path.

Match a filename: find . -name

-name compares the last part of the path. Quotes stop the shell from expanding *.

Try the command

Search this folder tree by name!

Build the command

find . [-name ]['pattern']

Terminal

C:\Users\User>find . -name 'secret.txt'

Locate a hidden file:

Command Prompt

hidden public.txt

C:\Users\User>ls

find . -name '*.txt' lists every .txt under the current folder, including nested ones.

-type d keeps directories. -type f keeps regular files. Combine with -name when you need both filters.

find . -type d

You will see ., then every subfolder. That map is useful before a cleanup or a copy.

Command Prompt

folders file.txt

C:\Users\User>ls

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What does find . -name 'secret.txt' search?

Only the current folder names

The whole tree under . for that filename

File contents for the word secret

Running processes