Random Linux+ Question #24

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You need to find a file located somewhere on your system fast. You are on the command line and can either use find or locate. You decide to use locate because it's faster. Why does the locate command return results faster than find? Choose only one answer.

1. Find only searches through directories. Locate searches directories and subdirectories.

2. Only locate searches through hidden directories and files.

3. The find command must search the selected file system. The locate command searches a previously created database created for this command and not the actual filesystem.

4. Find is a larger, more complicated program while locate is lightweight and simple.

Answer later.

 

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Guessing at 3 here.

 

Answer time. Congratulations, Nugget. The correct answer is indeed 3. The locate command searches a previously constructed database rather than the actual file structure, so it's quite a bit faster. The downside is that the database can be out of date and thus be somewhat inaccurate.