5 Powerful find -exec Command Examples You’ll Actually Use

June 2025 | By Johnny @ LinuxEveryday.online

The Linux find command is already a powerhouse for file discovery—but pair it with -exec, and it transforms into an automation engine! Here are 5 practical find -exec combos you’ll want in your sysadmin toolkit.

1. 🗃️ Find and Rename Files

Add a suffix or rename in bulk:

find ~/Downloads -type f -name 'ubuntu*' -exec mv {} {}_renamed \;

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2. 🧮 Calculate and Store File Sizes

Create a disk usage snapshot:

sudo find /tmp/ -type f -exec du -sh {} \; > /root/du_data.out

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3. 🧹 Delete Old or Large Files

Remove clutter with precision:

find ~/Desktop -size +100M -exec rm {} \;
sudo find /tmp/ -type f -mtime +10 -exec rm {} \;

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4. 🔐 Bulk Permission Changes

Enforce consistent file permissions:

sudo find /var/www -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

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5. 🔍 Search File Contents

Find matching strings inside specific files:

find . -type f -name "*.hbs" -exec grep -iH excerpt {} \;

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💡 Final Tip:

Use {} \; to execute per file and {} + to batch them (when safe). This small syntax choice can make a big difference in performance and accuracy.