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Linux whereis Guide

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Mattscreative edited this page Nov 20, 2025 · 2 revisions

🔍 Linux whereis Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to whereis on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including finding binaries, source files, and manual pages.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. Understanding whereis
  2. whereis Basics
  3. Finding Files
  4. File Types
  5. Troubleshooting

🎯 Understanding whereis

What is whereis?

whereis locates binaries, sources, and manuals.

Uses:

  • Find binaries: Locate executables
  • Find sources: Locate source files
  • Find manuals: Locate man pages
  • Complete info: Get all file types

Why it matters:

  • File location: Find all related files
  • Documentation: Locate man pages
  • Sources: Find source files

🔍 whereis Basics

Find Command

Basic usage:

# Find command files
whereis ls

# Shows:
# ls: /usr/bin/ls /usr/share/man/man1/ls.1.gz

Multiple Commands

Find several:

# Find multiple
whereis ls cat grep

# Files for each

📁 Finding Files

Specific Types

Find binaries:

# Binaries only
whereis -b ls

# -b = binaries

Manual Pages

Find manuals:

# Manual pages only
whereis -m ls

# -m = manuals

📚 File Types

All Types

Complete info:

# All file types
whereis -a ls

# -a = all (shows all matches)

Sources

Find sources:

# Source files
whereis -s ls

# -s = sources

🔧 Troubleshooting

whereis Not Found

Check installation:

# Check whereis
which whereis

# Usually in util-linux
# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S util-linux

📝 Summary

This guide covered whereis usage, file location, and file type finding for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

🔗 Next Steps

This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.

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