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[Solved] Linux/macOS - Terminal - How to find the correct path to an executable file in Unix
(@hans)
Famed Member Admin
Joined: 11 years ago
Posts: 2796
Topic starter
May 26, 2022 4:11 AM
Several Unix dialects use the whereis command to find where programs, or executables, are stored in the file structure of the computer.
To use it at the Unix prompt, enter (replace "command" with the executable you're looking for)
whereis command
Example:
$ whereis ls
ls: /bin/ls /usr/share/man/man1/ls.1
Not all Linux distros come with "whereis", and there you could try the alternative "which" command instead, for example:
$ which ls
/bin/ls
Note: you could resort to using the "find" command, but that command is more intended to walk through directories, looking for files matching certain criteria.