ls -l /usr/libexec/loc*
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root wheel 3449 May 18 2009 /usr/libexec/locate.updatedb
Thar she blows.
Had i thought a little harder earlier, i should have realized that your $PATH probably doesn't include /usr/libexec... so therefore "
type -a" won't go looking there. [mea maxima culpa]
defaults read /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.locate
{
AbandonProcessGroup = 1;
Disabled = 1;
KeepAlive = {
PathState = {
"/var/db/locate.database" = 0;
};
And that
"Disabled = 1" is the new Apple default. (actually, the whole plist is new... and never existed before. They've simply pulled the "locate" stuff out of the normal weekly routine, and given it its own launchd job).
Thus, as per the pink-colored message above (mentioned in a macosxhints thread),
if a Snow Leopard user
wants the former weekly update of the locate.database... they must first enable its launchd job, by running:
sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.locate.plist
The
-w means "write" ... which will modify that plist, changing "Disabled = 1 to "Disabled = 0" (meaning Enabled).
And now we know the full story methinks.
FWIW, a quick search at Mac OSX Hints
main page and Macworld seems to indicate this info has not been handed out to the masses as yet.