How to use the command jdupes (with examples)
jdupes is a powerful duplicate file finder that is an enhanced fork of fdupes. It can be used to search for duplicate files in a single directory or across multiple directories, including subdirectories. The command provides various options to customize the search and preserve or delete the duplicate files found.
Use case 1: Search a single directory
Code:
jdupes path/to/directory
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to find duplicate files within a specific directory.
Explanation:
jdupes: The command itself.path/to/directory: The path to the directory where you want to search for duplicate files.
Example output:
path/to/directory/file1.txt
path/to/directory/file2.txt
path/to/directory/file3.txt
Use case 2: Search multiple directories
Code:
jdupes directory1 directory2
Motivation: When you want to find duplicate files across multiple directories, this use case allows you to specify multiple directories in the command.
Explanation:
jdupes: The command itself.directory1 directory2: The paths to the directories where you want to search for duplicate files.
Example output:
directory1/file1.txt
directory1/file2.txt
directory2/file1.txt
directory2/file3.txt
Use case 3: Search all directories recursively
Code:
jdupes --recurse path/to/directory
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to search for duplicate files not only in the specified directory but also in all its subdirectories.
Explanation:
jdupes: The command itself.--recurse: This option tells jdupes to search for duplicate files recursively.path/to/directory: The path to the directory where you want to start the recursive search.
Example output:
path/to/directory/file1.txt
path/to/directory/subdirectory/file1.txt
path/to/directory/subdirectory/file2.txt
Use case 4: Search directory recursively and let user choose files to preserve
Code:
jdupes --delete --recurse path/to/directory
Motivation: When you want to search for duplicate files recursively and remove the duplicates while giving the user the ability to choose which duplicates to preserve, this use case allows you to do so.
Explanation:
jdupes: The command itself.--delete: This option tells jdupes to delete the duplicate files after user confirmation.--recurse: This option tells jdupes to search for duplicate files recursively.path/to/directory: The path to the directory where you want to start the recursive search.
Example output:
Preserve the file 'path/to/directory/file1.txt'? [y/N] y
Preserve the file 'path/to/directory/subdirectory/file1.txt'? [y/N] n
Use case 5: Search multiple directories and follow subdirectores under directory2, not directory1
Code:
jdupes directory1 --recurse: directory2
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to search for duplicate files in multiple directories, but only want to search for duplicates in the subdirectories of directory2, not directory1.
Explanation:
jdupes: The command itself.directory1: The path to the first directory where you want to search for duplicate files.--recurse:: This option tells jdupes to follow subdirectories while searching for duplicate files.directory2: The path to the second directory where you want to search for duplicate files.
Example output:
directory1/file1.txt
directory1/file2.txt
directory2/subdirectory/file1.txt
directory2/subdirectory/file2.txt
Use case 6: Search multiple directories and keep the directory order in result
Code:
jdupes -O directory1 directory2 directory3
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to search for duplicate files across multiple directories, but want to preserve the order of directories when displaying the result.
Explanation:
jdupes: The command itself.-O: This option tells jdupes to order the output based on the directory precedence.directory1 directory2 directory3: The paths to the directories where you want to search for duplicate files.
Example output:
directory1/file1.txt
directory1/file2.txt
...
directory2/file1.txt
directory2/file3.txt
...
directory3/file2.txt
directory3/file3.txt
Conclusion:
The jdupes command provides a powerful and flexible way to search for duplicate files in directories. With options to customize the search and preserve or delete the duplicates found, it can help free up storage space and organize your file system effectively.
