Find empty file or directory in Linux

### Find empty file from current directory ###

[root@localhost ~]# find -type f -empty
./.cache/abrt/applet_dirlist
./.local/share/gnome-settings-daemon/input-sources-converted
./.local/share/folks/relationships.ini
./.local/share/.converted-launchers
./.local/share/tracker/data/.meta.isrunning
./.local/share/keyrings/user.keystore.HQQ99X
./.local/share/keyrings/user.keystore.ZUKY9X
./.local/share/keyrings/user.keystore.VG4S9X
./.local/share/keyrings/user.keystore.G00V9X
./.local/share/keyrings/user.keystore.681AAY
./.local/share/keyrings/user.keystore.A15Y9X
./.local/share/keyrings/user.keystore.7NT89X
./test/saidrasel.lst

### Find empty file from specific directory ###

[root@localhost ~]# find /root/test -type f -empty
/root/test/saidrasel.lst
[root@localhost ~]#
### Find empty directory from current location ###
[root@localhost ~]# find  -type d -empty
./.cache/evolution/addressbook/trash
./.cache/evolution/calendar/trash
./.cache/evolution/mail/trash
./.cache/evolution/memos/trash
./.cache/evolution/sources/trash
./.cache/evolution/tasks/trash
./.cache/folks/avatars
./.config/imsettings
./.config/abrt

### Find empty directory from specific location ###

[root@localhost ~]# mkdir -p /home/rasel/test

[root@localhost ~]# find /home/rasel/ -type d -empty
/home/rasel/.mozilla/extensions
/home/rasel/.mozilla/plugins
/home/rasel/.config/abrt
/home/rasel/test
[root@localhost ~]#

[root@localhost ~]# mkdir -p /home/rasel/test/abc

[root@localhost ~]# find /home/rasel/ -type d -empty
/home/rasel/.mozilla/extensions
/home/rasel/.mozilla/plugins
/home/rasel/.config/abrt
/home/rasel/test/abc
[root@localhost ~]#

### Remove empty directory ###

Create empty directory using following command

[root@localhost rasel]# pwd
/home/rasel
[root@localhost rasel]# mkdir test
[root@localhost rasel]# cd test/
[root@localhost test]# mkdir abc
[root@localhost test]# pwd
/home/rasel/test
[root@localhost test]# cd /root/
[root@localhost ~]# pwd
/root
[root@localhost ~]# find /home/rasel/ -type d -empty
/home/rasel/test/abc
 
[root@localhost ~]# ls -la /home/rasel/test/
total 4
drwxr-xr-x. 3 root  root    16 Dec 21 16:44 .
drwx------. 4 rasel rasel 4096 Dec 21 16:44 ..
drwxr-xr-x. 2 root  root     6 Dec 21 16:44 abc

Now remove the empty directory

[root@localhost ~]# find /home/rasel/test/ -type d -empty -exec rmdir {} \;
find: ‘/home/rasel/test/abc’: No such file or directory

[root@localhost ~]# ls -la /home/rasel/test/
total 4
drwxr-xr-x. 2 root  root     6 Dec 21 16:45 .
drwx------. 4 rasel rasel 4096 Dec 21 16:44 ..
[root@localhost ~]#

Find file based on access/modification time

We can find files based on following three file time attribute.

Access time of the file: Access time gets updated when the file accessed.
Modification time of the file: Modification time gets updated when the file content modified.
Change time of the file: Change time gets updated when the inode data changes

###Find files whose content got updated within last 1 hour###

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find /home/oracle -mmin -60
/home/oracle
/home/oracle/SaidRasel.c
[root@stelar_test oracle]#

-mmin n File’s data was last modified n minutes ago.
-mtime n File’s data was last modified n*24 hours ago.

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find /home/oracle -mtime -1
/home/oracle
/home/oracle/SaidRasel.c
[root@stelar_test oracle]#

###Find files which got accessed before 1 hour###

-amin n File was last accessed n minutes ago-atime n File was last accessed n*24 hours ago

Finds all the files (under /home/oracle) that got accessed within the last 24 hours (1 day).

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find /home/oracle -atime -1
/home/oracle/.ssh
/home/oracle/.oracle
/home/oracle/.oracle/logs
/home/oracle/.local
/home/oracle/.local/share
/home/oracle/.local/share/applications
/home/oracle/.local/share/gvfs-metadata
/home/oracle/.thumbnails
/home/oracle/.thumbnails/normal
/home/oracle/Downloads
/home/oracle/.gvfs
/home/oracle/.spice-vdagent
/home/oracle/.bash_profile
/home/oracle/.cache
/home/oracle/Templates
/home/oracle/tomcat jdk
/home/oracle/.dbus
/home/oracle/.dbus/session-bus

Finds all the files (under /root/test/backup) that got accessed within the last 24 hours (1 day).


[root@stelar_test oracle]# find /root/test/backup/ -atime -1
/root/test/backup/
/root/test/backup/Program.c
/root/test/backup/mycprogram.c
/root/test/backup/MyCProgram.c
/root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
/root/test/backup/MybashProgram.sh
[root@stelar_test oracle]#

Find files in the current directory and sub-directories, which got accessed within last 1 hour (60 minutes)

[root@stelar_test oracle]#  find -amin -60
.
./SaidRasel.c
./.bash_history
[root@stelar_test oracle]#

Find files in the current directory and sub-directories, which got accessed within last 1 hour (60 minutes)

[root@stelar_test oracle]#  find /home/oracle/ -amin -60
/home/oracle/
/home/oracle/SaidRasel.c
/home/oracle/.bash_history
[root@stelar_test oracle]#
-amin n File was last accessed n minutes ago
-atime n File was last accessed n*24 hours ago

###Find files which got changed before 1 hour###

-cmin n File’s status was last changed n minutes ago.
-ctime n File’s status was last changed n*24 hours ago.

find files in the current directory and sub-directories, which changed within last 1 hour (60 minutes)

[root@stelar_test oracle]#  find /home/oracle/ -cmin -60
/home/oracle/
/home/oracle/SaidRasel.c
/home/oracle/.bash_history
[root@stelar_test oracle]#  find . -cmin -60
.
./SaidRasel.c
./.bash_history
[root@stelar_test oracle]#

finds all the files (under /root/test/backup/) that got changed within the last 24 hours (1 day).

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find /root/test/backup/ -ctime -1
/root/test/backup/
/root/test/backup/Program.c
/root/test/backup/mycprogram.c
/root/test/backup/MyCProgram.c
/root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
/root/test/backup/MybashProgram.sh
[root@stelar_test oracle]#



Reference :
http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2009/06/15-practical-unix-linux-find-command-examples-part-2/

Find files using file name in Linux

create two file named saidrasel.c into current directory /root/test and /root/test/backup directory

[root@stelar_test test]# touch saidrasel.c
[root@stelar_test test]# cd backup/
[root@stelar_test backup]# touch saidrasel.c


Now execute the find command to search saidrasel.c file from /root/test location
[root@stelar_test test]#pwd
/root/test
[root@stelar_test test]# find -name saidrasel.c
./backup/saidrasel.c
./saidrasel.c
[root@stelar_test test]#

Now execute the find command to search saidrasel.c file from / location

[root@stelar_test /]# find -name saidrasel.c
./root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
./root/test/saidrasel.c
[root@stelar_test /]#

Now execute the find command to search saidrasel.c file from any location

[root@stelar_test oracle]# pwd
/home/oracle

Following search will start from / (root) location

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find / -name  saidrasel.c
/root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
/root/test/saidrasel.c
[root@stelar_test oracle]#

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find / -name  saidrasel*
/root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
/root/test/saidrasel.c

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find / -name  saidrase*
/root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
/root/test/saidrasel.c

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find / -name  saidra*
/root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
/root/test/saidrasel.c
[root@stelar_test oracle]#

Find Files Using Name and Ignoring Case


[root@stelar_test oracle]# find / -iname  "SaidRasel.c"
/home/oracle/SaidRasel.c
/root/test/SaidRasel.c
/root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
/root/test/saidrasel.c
[root@stelar_test oracle]#

[root@stelar_test oracle]# find / -iname  "saidrasel.c"
/home/oracle/SaidRasel.c
/root/test/SaidRasel.c
/root/test/backup/saidrasel.c
/root/test/saidrasel.c
[root@stelar_test oracle]#