How to set Spotlight to search the library folder

There's some good information on this situation in this thread. Apparently there have been some changes in Leopard.

 

Tell me about it, I literally spent ages trying to find some reference somewhere where it specifically ignores the Library files but alas I couldn't.

Hopes 10.5.2 has fixed this and that no one has noticed so far.

If not hope 10.5.3 sorts it out.

At times like this I always go and fill in feedback just so they know what people feel.

 

Erm...I don't think so. You spent 'ages' only in a metaphorical sense and not at all in the literal sense; unless of course you really did spend many thousands of years. Now that would literally be an age.

Yours, in pure pedantry,

Adam

PS -Christ - this is 3 years old and I'm commenting - how profoundly sad.

 

Yeah, but it's a good comment.

BTW, the problem still exists as of 10.6.7.

 

I'm not sure I'd call the OS preventing us (average users, aka, the source of the problem) from searching the Library folder a problem. Most of us don't belong in there. I'd like to have a command to give it to make it search library folders, but I don't see that as a shortcoming.

Spike

 

simple solution to augment list of spotlight directories

There's at least one solution to enable directories that Snow Leopard automatically excludes from the spotlight. I say at least one because I believe that you can actually create custom database indexes with apps such as quicksilver, path finder, total finder, etc. and then create your own hot key trigger that launches the apps built-in finder. I use quicksilver all the time, but I have never liked it's spotlight search design/interface.

Anyway, if you just want to be able to access the folder /Users/[user]/Library then simply create aliases for the top level directory and all its subfolders.

Spotlight's default index includes 'Folders' so they will be automatically added the next time it rebuilds its index. I would recommend, however, moving the folders to a different location and also changing the icon of both the library alias folder and all its subfolders folders so that it can easily be identified when the spotlight window appears.

One other thing:

The /Systems/Library folder cannot have an alias made of both itself and its contents, so I think you'd have to fudge around with it's ownership and/or it's permissions by changing adding another user (yourself) to have custom access as the super user. But for most people the contents of the systems' library folders is best left unaltered.

 

Came looking for info, but will leave some instead

Spotlight can search entire computer including libraries if you form your search term in a window's search box like so:

to find Archive Utility:

filename:archive

or, if the filename has spaces:

filename:"archive utility"

kind:aperture library

Works also.

Anyone have more?

Dio