How to perform a fuzzy search for a file in Linux?

In Linux, wildcard characters can be used to perform fuzzy searches for a file. Here are several common methods:

  1. Using the * wildcard: In the command line, using the * wildcard can match any character, and you can search for files by combining the * wildcard with part of a file name. For example, to find all files starting with “file”, you can use the following command:
ls file*
  1. Utilize the “?” wildcard: The “?” wildcard can match a single character. For example, to find all files starting with “file” followed by two characters, you can use the following command:
ls file??
  1. Using the [] wildcard: The [] wildcard can match one character from a set of characters. For example, to find all files that start with “file1” or “file2”, you can use the following command:
ls file[12]*
  1. Utilize the find command: The find command allows for more complex file searches. For instance, to search for all files in the current directory and its subdirectories that begin with “file”, you can use the following command:
find . -name "file*"

In this case, the “.” represents the current directory, and the “-name” parameter is used to specify the pattern for matching file names.

No matter which method is used, appropriate adjustments can be made as needed to achieve fuzzy file searching.

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