[G4] Spotlight Usage

[Harry Freeman]

Thanks for your reply, however, I am an old time Unix user therefore  
I'm very familiar with this type of command.

I'm not having trouble getting "Spotlight" to index my drives, it's  
after taking up to 20 hours to index the 750Gb drive if I unmount  
(eject) the drive when it is remounted Spotlight no longer know what's  
on the drive.

I use the "System Preferences~Spotlight~Privacy" to get indexing  
started. First I use the "+" button and select the drive that I want  
indexed, then use the "-" button to remove the drive from the privacy  
list.

Then within a few minuets the "Spotlight" application will begin the  
indexing.
When it is done, items that are contained on the drive can be found  
using Spotlight,

However if the drive is ejected, when it is remounted the items and no  
longer accessible for finding, using spotlight.

The drive that I'm referring to is a backup drive which I don't want  
to keep mounted full time, but would like to find items using  
Spotlight when mounted.

If this is normal I guess I'll have to live with it, but I would think  
that spotlight should store the database index somewhere, therefore it  
should be available for use.

Thanks again for your detailed answer

Here's what I found regarding mdutil
----------------------------------------------------
mdutil -- manage the metadata stores used by Spotlight

SYNOPSIS
    mdutil [-pEsav] [-i on | off] volume ...

DESCRIPTION
    The mdutil command is useful for managing the metadata stores for  
mounted
    volumes.

    The following options are available:

    -p  Spotlight caches indexes of some network devices locally.  This
        option requests that a local caches be flushed to the  
appropriate
        network device.

    -E  This flag will cause each local store for the volumes  
indicated to be
        erased.  The stores will be rebuilt if appropriate.

    -i on | off
        Sets the indexing status for the provided volumes to on or  
off.  Note
        that indexing may be delayed due to low disk space or other  
condi-
        tions.

    -s  Display the indexing status of the listed volumes.

    -a  Apply command to all volumes.

    -v  Print verbose information when available.
----------------------------------------------------

On Mar 14, 2010, at 8:11 PM, B G wrote:

> Here is a brief synopsis of spotlight.
>
>
> Spotlight will begin indexing any volume as soon as it is mounted,  
> with certain exceptions: CDs, DVDs, and network-attached or shared  
> volumes are not indexed when mounted. Volume means either a hard  
> drive with a single partition, or a specific partition on a hard  
> drive with multiple partitions.
>
> You can under Tiger stop an indexing from happening but you may end  
> up with some anomalous data. this has been corrected under leopard
>
>
> 1. Let indexing begin on the volume.
>
> 2. Open Terminal, located in the Macintosh HD > Applications >  
> Utilities folder.
>
> 3. At the Terminal prompt, type the following command, exactly as  
> written:
> 	
> 		sudo mdutil -i off /path_to_volume
> where /path_to_volume is the path of the volume being indexed.
>
> 4. Press Return.
>
> 5. If prompted for a Password, type your Admin password, then press  
> Return.
> You will receive the response:
>
> 	•/path_to_volume/: Indexing disabled for volume.
> under Tiger or
>
> 	 /path_to_volume: Indexing disabled.
> under Leopard.
>
> Spotlight will immediately cease to index the specified volume.
>
> 6. If you are using Leopard, skip to step 9.
>       Otherwise, erase the partial index created by Spotlight under  
> Tiger. At the Terminal
>
>        prompt, type the following command, exactly as written:
>
> 	             sudo mdutil -E /path_to_volume
>  where /path_to_volume is the path of the volume being indexed. [1]
>
> 7. Press Return.
>
> 8. If prompted for a Password, type your Admin password, then press  
> Return.
>       You will receive the response:
>
> 	        /path_to_volume/: Volume index removed.
>
>
> 9.  At the Terminal prompt, type exit then press Return.
>
> 10. Quit (Command-Q) Terminal.
>
> If you use the volume frequently just leave it mounted all the time
>
>
>
> On Mar 14, 2010, at 5:36 PM, Harry Freeman wrote:
>
>> Greetings All
>>
>> I'm wondering if someone can give me a clue?
>> Every time that I index one of my external USB drives, the next  
>> time that I load that disk onto the desktop
>> Spotlight doesn't seam to remember any of the items which were  
>> indexed.
>> I'm indexing a 750Gb external USB drive, when I'm done the contents  
>> will be available,
>> however if I eject the drive then remount a few days later, it  
>> knows nothing of the contents.
>>
>> Am I doing something that I shouldn't or do I have to keep it  
>> mounted forever?
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Harry
>> San Jose, CA