Build a Tiny “Everything” Search Tool on Linux with a One‑Line Shell Script

Linux users can replicate the fast file‑search capabilities of the Windows "Everything" utility by using a compact shell script called lazy_find.sh. The script leverages find with configurable options for case‑sensitive matching and path selection, providing recursive search across directories.

Script Overview

The script begins with a help function that prints usage information, then defines default variables MATCH="-iname" (case‑insensitive name match) and SEARCH="." (current directory). It parses command‑line options: --help or -h – display help. --match-case or -m – switch to case‑sensitive matching by setting MATCH="-name". --path or -p – specify a different search directory.

After option parsing, the script sanitises input, checks for missing arguments, and then iterates over each provided filename pattern, invoking /usr/bin/find with the constructed parameters.

Creating and Using the Script

1. Create the file: $ vim lazy_find.sh 2. Paste the script content and save with :wq.

3. Make it executable: $ chmod +x lazy_find.sh 4. Basic usage – search for a fragment of a filename: $ ./lazy_find.sh scr The script lists matching files in the current directory and all sub‑directories, ignoring case by default.

5. Enable case‑sensitive search by adding -m: $ ./lazy_find.sh -m scr 6. Search a specific directory with --path (or -p), e.g., the home folder for files containing "hello":

$ ./lazy_find.sh --path ~ hello

Binding the Script to a Custom Command

To avoid typing the script path each time, add an alias to .bashrc:

alias lf=~/bin/lazy_find.sh  # adjust the path to your script

After saving the file, reload the shell configuration: $ . ~/.bashrc Now the lf command can be used anywhere with the same options as the script.

Conclusion

By studying and adapting this short shell program, readers improve their Bash scripting skills, learn how to build a practical file‑search tool, and see how to integrate it into their workflow via a custom alias.