When the locate command stops working, running updatedb should refresh the file database. But what happens when the system can't find updatedb itself? This typically indicates either:

• The mlocate package isn't installed
• The command isn't in your $PATH
• Filesystem permissions prevent execution

First check if mlocate is installed:

rpm -q mlocate # For RHEL/CentOS/Fedora

dpkg -l mlocate # For Debian/Ubuntu

pacman -Qs mlocate # For Arch

If nothing returns, install it with:

sudo yum install mlocate # RHEL/CentOS

sudo apt install mlocate # Debian/Ubuntu

sudo pacman -S mlocate # Arch

If installed but still not found, try these approaches:

# Full path execution

/usr/bin/updatedb

# Using find to locate the binary

sudo find / -name updatedb 2>/dev/null

# Verify PATH contains standard binary directories

echo $PATH | grep -E "/usr/local/bin|/usr/bin|/bin"

For immediate needs, create a temporary solution:

# Create custom locate database

sudo find / -type f > ~/my_locate_db 2>/dev/null

# Search using grep

grep "search_term" ~/my_locate_db

Investigate potential permission issues:

# Check file permissions

ls -l $(which updatedb)

# Verify sudo works

sudo -l updatedb

# Check environment variables

sudo env | grep PATH

Different distributions handle locate differently:

• RHEL 8+: Uses plocate instead of mlocate
• macOS: Uses mdfind instead of locate
• Minimal Installations: May require additional dependencies

For recurring issues, set up a cron job:

# Add to crontab (runs daily at 2AM)

(crontab -l 2>/dev/null; echo "0 2 * * * /usr/bin/updatedb") | crontab -

When locate isn't available, consider:

# Using find with optimized parameters

find / -name "pattern" -type f 2>/dev/null

# fd (faster alternative)

fd "pattern" /search/path

---

When the locate command fails to work, the immediate fix would be updating its database with updatedb. However, many users encounter the frustrating "bash: updatedb: command not found" error, which indicates deeper system configuration issues.

First verify if mlocate (or findutils) package is installed:

# For Debian/Ubuntu systems
sudo apt list --installed | grep mlocate

# For RHEL/CentOS systems
rpm -qa | grep mlocate

If not installed, install it with:

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install mlocate -y

# RHEL/CentOS
sudo yum install mlocate -y

# Fedora
sudo dnf install mlocate -y

The command might exist but not in your PATH. Try finding the binary:

sudo find / -name updatedb 2>/dev/null

If found but not in PATH, either add its directory to PATH or create an alias:

echo 'alias updatedb="/usr/bin/updatedb"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Even when installed, permission issues might prevent execution:

ls -l $(which updatedb)
sudo chmod +x $(which updatedb)

Most systems run updatedb automatically via cron. Check if it's configured:

sudo cat /etc/cron.daily/mlocate

If missing, create a daily cron job:

sudo tee /etc/cron.daily/mlocate <<'EOF'
#!/bin/sh
/usr/bin/updatedb -f "nfs,smbfs,ncpfs,proc,devpts" -e "/tmp,/var/tmp,/usr/tmp,/afs,/net"
EOF
sudo chmod +x /etc/cron.daily/mlocate

If all else fails, consider alternatives:

# Using find with recent files
find / -mtime -7

# Using fd (modern alternative)
sudo apt install fd-find
fdfind --type f

Enable verbose output when manually running updatedb:

sudo /usr/bin/updatedb --verbose

Check system logs for errors:

journalctl -xe | grep -i updatedb