| name | hive.terminal-tools-fs-search |
| description | Use terminal_rg / terminal_find when you need raw filesystem search outside the project tree — system configs, /var/log, /etc, archive contents — or when files-tools.search_files is too project-scoped. Teaches the rg vs find vs terminal_exec("ls/du/tree") split, common rg flag combos for code/logs/configs, find predicates for mtime/size/type queries, and the rule that for tree views or single-file stat info you should just use terminal_exec instead of inventing a tool. Read before reaching for raw shell to grep or find anything. |
| metadata | {"author":"hive","type":"preset-skill","version":"1.0"} |
Filesystem search
terminal-tools provides two structured search tools: terminal_rg (ripgrep for content) and terminal_find (find for predicates). Everything else (tree, stat, du) is just terminal_exec.
When to use what
| Task | Tool |
|---|
| Find code/text matching a pattern in your project | files-tools.search_files (project-aware, ranks by relevance) |
Find code/text matching a pattern in /var/log, /etc, archives, system dirs | terminal_rg |
| Find files matching name/glob/predicate | terminal_find |
| List a directory | terminal_exec("ls -la /path") |
| Tree view | terminal_exec("tree -L 2 /path") |
| Single-path stat | terminal_exec("stat /path") |
| Disk usage | terminal_exec("du -sh /path") or terminal_exec("du -h --max-depth=2 /") |
| Count matches across files | terminal_rg(pattern, count=True via extra_args=["-c"]) |
terminal_rg — content search
ripgrep is fast, gitignore-aware, and has a deep flag surface. The structured wrapper exposes the most useful flags directly; extra_args covers the rest.
Common patterns
# All Python files containing "TODO"
terminal_rg(pattern="TODO", path=".", type_filter="py")
# Case-insensitive, with context
terminal_rg(pattern="error", path="/var/log", ignore_case=True, context=2)
# Search hidden files (rg ignores them by default)
terminal_rg(pattern="api_key", path="~", hidden=True)
# Don't respect .gitignore (find files git would ignore)
terminal_rg(pattern="generated", path=".", no_ignore=True)
# Multi-line pattern (e.g., function definitions spanning lines)
terminal_rg(pattern=r"def\s+\w+\(.*\n.*\n", path="src", extra_args=["--multiline"])
# Specific filename glob
terminal_rg(pattern="version", path=".", glob="*.toml")
rg flag idioms
| Flag | Effect |
|---|
-tpy (type_filter="py") | Only Python files |
-uu | Don't respect any ignores (incl. .git/) |
--multiline (extra_args) | Allow regex spanning lines |
--max-count (max_count) | Stop after N matches per file |
--max-depth (max_depth) | Limit recursion |
-w (extra_args) | Whole word match |
-F (extra_args) | Fixed string (no regex) |
See references/ripgrep_cheatsheet.md for the long form.
terminal_find — predicate search
find excels at "files matching N criteria". The wrapper surfaces the most common predicates; combine via the structured arguments.
# All .log files modified in the last 7 days, larger than 1MB
terminal_find(path="/var/log", iname="*.log", mtime_days=7, size_kb_min=1024)
# All directories named ".git" (find Git repos under a tree)
terminal_find(path="~/projects", name=".git", type_filter="d")
# Only the top three levels
terminal_find(path="/etc", max_depth=3, type_filter="f")
# Symlinks
terminal_find(path=".", type_filter="l")
See references/find_predicates.md for combinations not directly exposed.
Output truncation
Both tools return truncated: true when their output exceeded the inline cap. For terminal_rg, this means matches were dropped (refine the pattern or narrow the path); for terminal_find, results past max_results (default 1000) are dropped. Tighten predicates rather than raising the cap.
Anti-patterns
- Don't
terminal_rg your project tree — files-tools.search_files is project-aware and ranks results.
- Don't reach for
terminal_find to list one directory — terminal_exec("ls -la /path") is shorter.
- Don't use
terminal_exec("grep ...") when terminal_rg exists — rg is faster, gitignore-aware, and returns structured matches.
- Don't use
terminal_exec("find ...") to invent your own predicate combinations — use terminal_find and report missing capabilities.
