Locate and updatedb doesn't work. What should I do?

My locate command doesn't work, but I found out I had to run updatedb. However, upon invoking that command, bash says bash: updatedb: command not found. What should I do?

From serverfault Doug

• Either updatedb is not installed, either it's not in your $PATH variable.

  When running updatedb, you must do it as root or with sudo.

  From petrus

• I think you need to install the locate program. In a debian lenny system, the /usr/bin/updatedb file is a symlink to /etc/alternatives/updatedb which is a symlink to /usr/bin/updatedb.findutils.

  Using dpkg -S you can find what package a file belongs to:

  $ dpkg -S /usr/bin/updatedb.findutils 
  locate: /usr/bin/updatedb.findutils
  

  So I think you need to install locate and then run updatedb as root.

  Edit: yes, you need the locate package. In the file /usr/share/doc/findutils/NEWS.Debian.gz you can read:

  locate is no longer included in the findutils package. It has been split off to a separate package "locate".

  and then in /usr/share/doc/findutils/changelog.Debian.gz, on the changelog on 11 nov 2007:

  Split off locate/updatedb to a separate package.

  From natxo asenjo

• It was not installed and not in the directories listed by natxo, but I found a solution to install it. Thank you for the lead guys!

  http://www.nicecabbage.com/2009/08/install-locate-and-updatedb-on-centos-and-debian/

  In root: apt-get install locate

  natxo asenjo : ?? apparently I have not explained it properly. In a debian system *with* updatedb installed, using dpkg -S has told me what package it belonged to. That is why I wrote you needed the locate package, which is what you have done. Glad you found it on your own, though.
  From Doug

• Must of the command that must be run as root are not in the user's $PATH so just run:

  $ sudo updatedb

  and it should work.

  From Gopoi