Linux has two common ways to search for files: find, which searches the filesystem directly, and locate, which searches a prebuilt filename database.
Use find for current results
find /path -name 'filename' find /path -iname '*.log'
find reflects the current filesystem state and supports filters for type, size, owner, modification time, permissions, and more.
Use locate for fast filename searches
locate filename locate -n 20 filename
locate is fast because it searches an index. If a new file does not appear, refresh the database with the distribution’s updatedb command, usually with administrative privileges.
Use find when correctness and current state matter; use locate when you want a quick filename lookup across the system.