Can GNU-find command search by xattrs?

"Peter B." <[email protected]> Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:42:22 +0100
Newsgroups gmane.comp.gnu.findutils.bugs
Message-ID <[email protected]>
Hi everyone!

This is not about a bug, it's more a feature (re)quest(ion), but this is 
the only list I found on [How to contact findutils: 
(gnu.org)](https://www.gnu.org/software/findutils/). Please feel free to 
point me somewhere else, if you feel there's a better place to talk 
about "xattrs and find" :)

So I'm working with laaaarge datasets: of metadata and nnn-GBs (or 
larger) binary files in different file formats in the GLAM (Galleries 
Libraries Archives Museums) sector as developer, admin and workflow 
designer. I've recently fell in love with "xattrs" (combined file-object 
access "by ID" - not path/filename).

I've discovered that many core GNU/Linux environment applications and 
programming libraries support Extended Attributes (xattrs) out of the 
box - just not by default (yet): rsync, tar, cp, yt-dlp

===================
Would you be interested, and would it be possible to add xattr 
key-or-value search-functionality to find(utils)?

I'm not expecting this to be for free, and if I get an offer from you, I 
may be able to get funding.

I'm convinced, improving reliable and seamless xattr support is a great 
advantage to any tool these days: Like having seamless unicode character 
filenames, compared to DOS 8.3 UPPERCASE ASCII characters only - for 
today's daily use of "file objects" :D
===================

Imagine, if GNU `find` would allow searching by xattr key-or-value too?


I'd be very happy to hear from you.
Personally, I'm using xattrs to handle data already for ~1.5y, and I'm 
super-happy about using the filesystem as simple database.

Thanks and regards!
Peter