Why "-bash: ifconfig : command not found" when typing "$ifconfig"

dangdtvn · 12-03-2008, 12:54 AM

i typed "$ifconfig" in the redhat 4. And it returned above error.other users, it does not matter at all. So someone can tell me the reason.

thanks!

SqdnGuns · 12-03-2008, 01:09 AM

Run as root, the command is "ifconfig"

dangdtvn · 12-03-2008, 04:23 AM

Any reason else?

repo · 12-03-2008, 04:41 AM

Because ifconfig is locate in /sbin
sbin is not in the path from regular users, only in path from root.
you can execute the command by typing /sbin/ifconfig

colucix · 12-03-2008, 04:43 AM

Well, this happens only if you have a variable ifconfig whose value is ifconfig and you're not root, that is

Code:

$ ifconfig=ifconfig
$ $ifconfig
-bash: ifconfig: command not found

but I see no reason to launch a command as $variable, unless you have a script which dynamically set the name of the command and store it in a shell variable. Moreover, as already stated by SqdnGuns above, you have to be root to run ifconfig otherwise - as a regular user - it is not in your PATH.

Actually, you can run the ifconfig command as a regular user if you launch it with its absolute path:

Code:

$ /sbin/ifconfig

but only to display the ethernet interface settings, not to modify the settings themselves - for which you have to acquire root privileges. Please note that in my examples above the greyed $ sign is the command prompt.

dangdtvn · 12-04-2008, 12:10 AM

I understood more about this issue!

thanks!