Search $path, man pages and source files for an application file.
The supplied filenames are first stripped of leading pathname components and any (single) trailing extension of the form .ext (for example, .c). Prefixes of s. resulting from use of source code control are also dealt with. whereis then attempts to locate the desired program in a list of standard Linux directories (e.g., /bin, /etc, /usr/bin, /usr/local/bin/, etc.).
Syntax
whereis [options] files
Options
-b Search only for binaries.
-B directories
Change or otherwise limit the directories to search for
binaries.
-f Terminate the last directory list and signal the
start of filenames;
Required when any of the -B, -M, or -S options are used.
-m Search only for manual sections.
-M directory
Change or otherwise limit the directories to search for
manual sections.
-s Search only for sources.
-S directory
Change or otherwise limit the directories to search for
sources.
-u Search for unusual entries, that is, files that do not
have one entry of each requested type.
Thus, the command whereis -m -u * asks for those files
in the current directory that have no documentation.
Examples
Find all files in /usr/bin that are not documented in /usr/man/man1 but that have source in /usr/src:
% cd /usr/bin % whereis -u -M /usr/man/man1 -S /usr/src -f *
"If I am not for myself, Who will be for me?
And if I am only for myself, What am I?
And if not now, When?" ~ Rabbi Hillel
Related linux commands:
pwd - Print Working Directory.
hash - Remember the full pathname of a name argument.
type - Describe a command.
which - Search the user's $path for a program file.
Equivalent Windows commands: WHERE - Locate and display files in a directory tree.