listing every file with it's directory

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: listing every file with it's directory
started by: clacker

Posted by clacker on Aug. 08 2004,11:45

Is there a way to get a listing of every file on the system, similar to the output from tar -t??? Besides the obvious:
tar -cvf mytar *
tar -tvf mytar

I am trying to make a dsl for a program that runs a lot of configuration programs after the *.deb files load with apt-get. What I would like to do is get a listing of every file in /ramdisk and /etc, including full path names and file sizes, before and after I load the new program. Then I want to take any line in the second file that isn't in the first (using grep) and add that entry to a file. Then I will take that file and use tar with the -T command to make my dsl.

Posted by roberts on Aug. 08 2004,15:12

Sure, use the find command.

find /home -print > myfiles.lst

or

cd desired_dir
find . -print > myfiles.lst

There are lots of options to find. It is one of the most useful commands.

Posted by ke4nt1 on Aug. 08 2004,15:36

....ke4nt sneaks in for a bite.... :cool:

roberts, I have wanted to do this very thing many times before
to see how an extension affects the file system...

So , would this work.....

"find / -print > b4.txt"
before installing an app.... then

"find / -print > aft.txt"
After installing the app.... then

"diff b4.txt aft.txt > newlist.txt" ?

Would this work?

73
ke4nt

Posted by roberts on Aug. 08 2004,18:55

Yes, but I would filter out stuff not really needed in the list list /KNOPPIX and /proc maybe /dev also mnt if you have a bunch of other drives mounted.

Just create pipes to grep -v

find / -print | grep -v proc | grep -v KNOPPIX > mylist.txt

Using *nix one becomes a wordsmith.

Posted by clivesay on Aug. 08 2004,19:19

Lots of good stuff to know around here. I am going to have to start printing things and placing them in a binder!

Posted by mikshaw on Aug. 08 2004,21:01

The "-print" option is default, isn't it? I've never used it anyway....

Posted by roberts on Aug. 08 2004,22:07

default is -print. But nice to explain things. Like I said many options with find. The "swiss army knife" of *nix commands .

Posted by clacker on Aug. 08 2004,23:46

Great. This was just what I needed. I looked at the manpage for find to check out the options you mentioned and saw that they even have a switch to find files modified after a target file. So I can use:

touch /home/dsl/myMarker
<do my apt-get stuff in here>
find / -newer /home/dsl/marker | grep -v proc | grep -v KNOPPIX > myfiles

I learned a lot from this, thanks.

Posted by chibiace on Aug. 09 2004,04:20

mmmm this could be useful.

Posted by Alisdair Kelly on Aug. 09 2004,12:15

[QUOTE]mmmm this could be useful.

That may be the understatement of the week. This group/forum is remarkable for the ideas and the solutions to problems.

"Me 'ats off ta ye all!"

Posted by clivesay on Aug. 09 2004,15:44

Quote

This group/forum is remarkable for the ideas and the solutions to problems.

I agree!!

The people who stick with the major distros really limit themselves. I am proud of myself for sticking it out with the small distros even though I have been often frustrated. It is so great to interact with such bright and innovative people. I consider myself kind of innovative but a little more dim than bright.

Chris

Posted by optixz on Aug. 10 2004,22:03

This seems like a simple task for 'ls' as well

just type the following

cd destination_dir
ls -alR

The capital R is needed for recursive listings of directories
I've taken a note on using the find command though. Very good tip.

Posted by ke4nt1 on May 22 2005,04:10

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