macos

searchfs: Free and Efficient File Search Tool for macOS Terminal

Hazem Abbas

Aug 8, 2024 — 2 min read

searchfs is a powerful command-line utility for macOS designed to efficiently search for files using the HFS+ and APFS file systems.

It is an ideal solution for users who need more control and speed than Spotlight offers.

How does it work?

searchfs is a macOS command line tool to quickly search by filename on entire APFS and HFS+ volumes. Searching takes place at the driver level using the file system catalog. This means the volume's directory tree can be scanned much faster than with a standard recursive filename search using find.

Search is case-insensitive by default. Matching files are printed to standard output in the order they are found in the catalog. See the man page for details.

KatSearch is a native graphical macOS application built on top of searchfs.

Features

Fast Searches: Utilizes the underlying filesystem for quick search operations.
Flexible Queries: Supports complex search queries, including name, type, and metadata.
Easy Integration: Can be easily integrated into scripts and other command-line workflows.

Installation

Manual Installation:

Download the latest release from the GitHub repository.
Unzip the downloaded file.

Move the searchfs binary to /usr/local/bin:

sudo mv searchfs /usr/local/bin

Homebrew:

brew install searchfs

How to use?

Search with Metadata:

searchfs -m "metadata_key=metadata_value" /path/to/search

Search by Type:

searchfs -k "filetype" /path/to/search

Search by Name:

searchfs -n "filename" /path/to/search

Examples

Search for Specific Filename:

searchfs -n "report.docx" /Users/username

Search for Files Modified Recently:

searchfs -m "kMDItemFSContentChangeDate >= $time.now(-7d)" /Users/username

Find All PDF Files:

searchfs -k "pdf" /Users/username/Documents

Advanced Usage

Combine multiple search criteria for refined results.
Use searchfs in scripts to automate file management tasks.

Final Note

searchfs offers a robust and efficient solution for file searching on macOS, surpassing the limitations of Spotlight with speed and flexibility. Whether you need to find files by name, type, or metadata, searchfs provides the tools to perform searches quickly and effectively.

Install it today and streamline your file search process on macOS.

For more information and detailed usage, visit the searchfs GitHub repository.