NAME

whereis − Locates files for programs

SYNOPSIS

whereis [-bms] [-u] [-BMS directory ...  -f] program ... 

The whereis command locates source, binary, and/or reference page files for the specified program program. 

FLAGS

The -b, -m, and -s flags can be used in combination to restrict the search. 

-bSearches for an executable program. 

-mSearches for the reference page for a program. 

-sSearches for the sources of a program. 

Use the -B, -M, and -S flags to change or limit the places whereis searches. 

-B directory
Specifies the binary directories to search.

-M directory
Specifies the reference page directories to search.

-S directory
Specifies the source directories to search.

The other flags that can be used with whereis are as follows:

-f program ...
Terminates the last directory list and signals the start of program names.

-uUsed with other flags to indicate when there is no file for program in the default or specified directory or directories (source, binary, or reference page). 

DESCRIPTION

The whereis program locates source, binary, and reference pages for the specified programs.  When looking for a match, the program names are stripped of leading pathname components and any trailing extensions of the form .ext (for example, .c).  Prefixes of s. resulting from the use of the Source Code Control System see sccs(1), are also handled. 

The default directories searched by the whereis command are as follows:

       •/etc

       •/etc/nls

       •/sbin

       •/usr/bin

       •/usr/lbin

       •/usr/lbin/spell

       •/usr/ccs/lib

       •/usr/lib

       •/usr/local

       •/usr/hosts

       •/usr/sbin

EXAMPLES

     1.To find files matching cat in the default source, binary, and reference directories, enter:

whereis cat

     2.To search for reference pages for app13 in the directory /usr/local/man, enter:

whereis -M /usr/local/man -f -f appl3

     3.To find the programs in /usr/bin that do not have reference pages in /usr/share/man/man1 with source files in /usr/src/cmd, enter:

whereis -u -M /usr/share/man/man1 \
        -S /usr/src/cmd -f /usr/bin/∗

     4.To find which files in the current directory either have no reference pages in the default reference directories or have more than one, enter:

whereis -m -u ∗

FILES

/etc, /etc/∗, /sbinDefault binary directories. 

/usr/{bin, lbin, lbin/spell, ccs/lib, lib, local, hosts, sbin}
Default binary directories.

/usr/share/{cat, man}
Default reference directories.

/usr/src/{etc, sbin, bin, lib, local, hosts, sbin}
Default source directories.

RELATED INFORMATION

Commands:  apropos(1), find(1), man(1), which(1), catman(8).