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artfulrobot
Asked: 2012-03-10 12:01:07 +0800 CST

How do I use the GUI to search for files in GNOME?

  • 772

On the command line I regularly use locate, or more often a locate x | grep y pattern to find a file I know exists but can't find!

I'd like something that did this quickly in the GUI. Can't find it if it's there.

Here's my confusion

  • In the applications/overview I can see Search and Indexing. This seems to be a configuration tool. But if this is a server, I can't find a client.

  • In applications I find Nepomuk File Indexing -- I think this is a KDE thing? Ditto, no client?

  • I've installed tracker. This is a strange mix of powerful and unreliable/limited. e.g. it doesn't find files like locate does (returns no results where locate returns 96 results), but is will unpack every tag I've added to my photos! And you can't limit by folder for a quick search within a folder.

  • The old Gnome 2 Search for files... thing is not in the Accessories menu anymore.

I feel that this is basic/core-level functionality and I can't help feeling I'm missing something obvious.

gnome search 12.04

4 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    There are several ways you can do this.

    1. Open Files and click the Search button. This is the easiest and recommended choice since it's installed by default.
    2. Or you can install gnome-search-tool Install gnome-search-tool
    3. Or you can install tracker-gui Install tracker-gui
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  2. I was also looking for this myself as I find Unity too slow (Ubuntu 12.10). Best thing I've found so far is Synapse. Ctrl + Spacebar to activate once installed.

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  3. Catfish

    You can also install catfish package (written in Python):

    Catfish is a search GUI powered by locate and find behind the scenes, with autocompletion from Zeitgeist and locate. The advanced options allow filtering by date and file type. The interface is intentionally lightweight and simple, using only GTK+.

    screenshot

    References

    • 2

  4. You can install 

    apt install searchmonkey

    If you want to use it in Thunar:

    • open Edit > Configure custom actions

    • Click on the + sign to open a new child window

    • In the tab titled Basic, enter Search for files in the Name box

    • In the Command box, enter searchmonkey -d %f or choose something from the command parameters provided

    Then open the Appearance Conditions tab. In there, enter * as the File Pattern and tick the appropriate choice below Appears if selection contains:

    Click OK. Close the Custom Actions window.

    You should see the option Search for files when you click on File in Thunar's menu bar now.

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