mlocate.db(5) mlocate mlocate.db(5)
Jan 2007
NAME
mlocate.db - a mlocate database
DESCRIPTION
A mlocate database starts with a file header: 8 bytes for a magic
number ("\0mlocate" like a C literal), 4 bytes for the configuration
block size in big endian, 1 byte for file format version (0), 1 byte
for the require visibility flag (0 or 1), 2 bytes padding, and a NUL-
terminated path name of the root of the database.
The header is followed by a configuration block, included to ensure
databases are not reused if some configuration changes could affect
their contents. The size of the configuration block in bytes is
stored in the file header. The configuration block is a sequence of
variable assignments, ordered by variable name. Each variable
assignment consists of a NUL-terminated variable name and an ordered
list of NUL-terminated values. The value list is terminated by one
more NUL character. The ordering used is defined by the strcmp ()
function.
Currently defined variables are:
prune_bind_mounts
A single entry, the value of PRUNE_BIND_MOUNTS; one of the
strings 0 or 1.
prunefs
The value of PRUNEFS, each entry is converted to uppercase.
prunepaths
The value of PRUNEPATHS.
The rest of the file until EOF describes directories and their
contents. Each directory starts with a header: 8 bytes for directory
time (seconds) in big endian, 4 bytes for directory time (nanoseconds)
in big endian (0 if unknown, less than 1,000,000,000), 4 bytes
padding, and a NUL-terminated path name of the the directory.
Directory contents, a sequence of file entries sorted by name, follow.
Directory time is the maximum of st_ctime and st_mtime of the
directory. updatedb(8) uses the original data if the directory time
in the database and in the file system match exactly. Directory time
equal to 0 always causes rescanning of the directory: this is
necessary to handle directories which were being updated while
building the database.
Each file entry starts with a single byte, marking its type:
- 1 - Formatted: November 15, 2025
mlocate.db(5) mlocate mlocate.db(5)
Jan 2007
0 A non-directory file. Followed by a NUL-terminated file (not
path) name.
1 A subdirectory. Followed by a NUL-terminated file (not path)
name.
2 Marks the end of the current directory.
locate(1) only reports file entries, directory names are not reported
because they are reported as an entry in their parent directory. The
only exception is the root directory of the database, which is stored
in the file header.
AUTHOR
Miloslav Trmac <mitr@redhat.com>
SEE ALSO
locate(1), updatedb.conf(5), updatedb(8)
- 2 - Formatted: November 15, 2025
