Finding files with Recoll
DIGGING IN
Whether you’re looking for a letter to the Internal Revenue Service or an email from an online trader, the Recoll desktop search machine will help you find it with just a few mouse clicks.
Even if you keep to a strict system of filing data and documents in a well-thought out directory struc ture, you’re bound to lose track of a file sooner or later, probably when you need it most. The file manager’s search func tion might help here, but unfortunately, it just checks for file names. If you’re lucky, you also might be able to check the content of text files, but that’s not much help if your OpenOffice file with the letter to the IRS is stored as 12112005fa. After grinding away at your hard disk for ages, the results are likely to be disappointing. Enter Recoll [1], your personal full text search engine (not to be confused with the Rekall database). Recoll searches for the keys you type, both in external attributes such as the file name and in the documents themselves. Just as in other desktop search engines like Beagle [2], Recoll creates an index to do this. The program has an impressive ar senal of utilities that help search through document content and relies on the Xapian [3] index engine.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
New Linux Kernel Patch Allows Forcing a CPU Mitigation
Even when CPU mitigations can consume precious CPU cycles, it might not be a bad idea to allow users to enable them, even if your machine isn't vulnerable.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5 Released
Notify your friends, loved ones, and colleagues that the latest version of RHEL is available with plenty of enhancements.
-
Linux Sees Massive Performance Increase from a Single Line of Code
With one line of code, Intel was able to increase the performance of the Linux kernel by 4,000 percent.
-
Fedora KDE Approved as an Official Spin
If you prefer the Plasma desktop environment and the Fedora distribution, you're in luck because there's now an official spin that is listed on the same level as the Fedora Workstation edition.
-
New Steam Client Ups the Ante for Linux
The latest release from Steam has some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve.
-
Gnome OS Transitioning Toward a General-Purpose Distro
If you're looking for the perfectly vanilla take on the Gnome desktop, Gnome OS might be for you.
-
Fedora 41 Released with New Features
If you're a Fedora fan or just looking for a Linux distribution to help you migrate from Windows, Fedora 41 might be just the ticket.
-
AlmaLinux OS Kitten 10 Gives Power Users a Sneak Preview
If you're looking to kick the tires of AlmaLinux's upstream version, the developers have a purrfect solution.
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.
-
System76 Unveils an Ampere-Powered Thelio Desktop
If you're looking for a new desktop system for developing autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle solutions. System76 has you covered.