A few weeks ago, I found myself facing a colossal challenge: finding a document lost in the twists and turns of my computer. We all know those moments when we’re sure we put that file somewhere, but where the hell?! Luckily, I had just come across Recoll, a full-text search tool that saved the day.
Recoll is based on the Xapian library and has a Qt GUI. It is compatible with Unix and Linux systems, and the great thing is that it is also available for Windows and macOS. Needless to say, there is something for everyone!
But then why is it cool?
Well, the tool supports an impressive number of document formats, making it extremely powerful in its searches. It also offers a web interface, allowing you to launch searches remotely. Imagine you are on the move and need to find a document on your computer at home. No problem, Recoll is here.
And that’s not all, since Recoll is free, open source, multilingual, and also benefits from regular updates.
Now let’s get down to business: how does it work?
Recoll simply uses an index to carry out its searches, a bit like Google Desktop Search did back in the day (the old ones, you know). This means that it goes through all your documents and creates a kind of database that makes it much easier to search later. No more need to spend hours digging through your files; Recoll will do this work for you, and you will have results straight away.
To install Recoll, simply follow the instructions on their website. Once installed, launch it and let it index your documents. This may take a while, but don’t worry, it’s a one-time process. Then you’ll be able to perform full-text searches on all your documents in no time.
Recoll’s interface is very simple and intuitive. Simply type your query into the search bar and let Recoll do the rest. Results appear within seconds, and you can refine your search using filters or changing settings.
Recoll is also very customizable. You can choose which folders to index, exclude certain types of files, or even define the frequency of index updates. In short, you have full control over how Recoll works.
And if you’re a fan of the command line, you’ll be happy to know that Recoll also offers a command-line version as well as an API.
To search, simply type:
recoll -t "your query"In summary, Recoll is a powerful tool that makes finding documents on your computer much easier. Whether you are a casual or advanced user (like keyboards… lol), I highly recommend you try it. You will not be disappointed!
To discover more, visit their website.
