How to recursively list all hidden files and directories?

Question

I want to list all hidden files and directories and then save result to file.

Is there any command for this?

Solution 1

If using GNU find, you can do

find /path -path '*/.*' -ls | tee output-file

Edit

To avoid to show non-hidden items contained in hidden directories

find /path -name '.*' >output-file

(as noted, tee could be avoided if you do not need to see the output, and -ls option should be used only if required).

Solution 2

To list the hidden files and directories in the current directory, including . and ..:

echo .*

To list the hidden files and directories in the current directory and its subdirectories recursively:

find . -name '.*'

If you want to save the results to a file, use a redirection:

find . -name '.*' >output-file.txt

Solution 3

With zsh (using the glob qualifier D):

print -rl ./**/.*(D)

To include non-hidden files in hidden directories:

setopt extendedglob
print -rl ./**/*~^*/.*(D)

Comments

[Gilles 'SO- stop being evil']

This also lists the contents of hidden directories, which isn't what the question asks for (probably — it is a little ambiguous).

[enzotib]

@Gilles: indeed it is ambiguous. Edited the answer

[Stéphane Chazelas]

Note that the first one is not GNU-specific. -path is POSIX since 2008. -ls is not standard but quite common.