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RTFM · Tools

ripgrep for searching

ripgrep searches trees fast by default: recursive, respects ignore files, regex-native. It complements grep rather than replacing the POSIX toolkit.

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Everyday invocations

rg vocabulary
rg ERROR /var/log/app.log         # simple search
rg -i todo ~/src/                  # case-insensitive recursive
rg -l 'Listen 80' /etc/            # filenames only
rg -C2 NotFound service.log        # 2 lines context each side
rg -uu hidden_feature              # include ignored/hidden anyway

Results arrive fast enough to iterate hypotheses interactively rather than batching queries cautiously.

Combining with pipelines

rg inside pipelines
rg 'Cache-Control' nginx/*.conf | awk '{print $3}' | sort | uniq -c

Still respecting grep

grep remains POSIX-portable and universally available in minimal images; rg excels locally and interactively. Knowing both avoids either disappointment.

Quick mapping
grep idiomrg equivalent
grep -rn pattern dir/rg pattern dir/
grep -irg -i
grep -Erg (native)
grep -B2 -A4rg -B2 -A4

Prove it works: search integration habitual

reaching for rg without hesitation when answering 'where is X configured?' — reflex indicates adoption complete.

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