UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi All
I am doing a locate <file_name> on my Redhat 7 System. I am unable to get the output. All the keep getting is:
locate: this is not a vlaid slocate database: /var/lib/locate/slocate.db

What des this mean? Is my system compromised?

Thanks in advance.

KS

Is the db actually there? If it is what are the permissions, do you need to be root to access it?

I may be wrong about this and am completely going on an old memory, which may or may not be correct. I seem to remember the database used by locate is created when the system is booted, thus rebooting the system MAY fix the issue. It's worth a shot if you don't have any other ideas and can reboot the box without too much trouble.

The database is there... I am able to locate as root.

Sounds like a PATH issue. The root PATH envvar has the path to the .DB in it whereas the user that you are looking for it does not.

thanks...but how can i set the envvar PATH to the slocate.db file?
Is this right?
PATH = :/var/lib/slocate/slocate.db
export PATH

That doesn't make sense, the slocate db is usable by root, but not users? Sounds like a permissions problem to me...

Usually, locate/slocate are updated from cron.
Depending on which locate you're using, it may be at /usr/bin/updatedb, /usr/libexec/update.locatedb, or others...

Being that you're on a Redhat system, try running /usr/bin/updatedb as root to rebuild the file. Then check the permissions.