How to check if a piece of SW installed from source already?

Josh2017 · 02-17-2017, 04:38 PM

Hi all, I am new to this forum and Linux. Recently I am working on a project requires installing a piece of SW. I am told this SW is installed on a Debian 8 mechanic already from the source. How can I verify that?

suicidaleggroll · 02-17-2017, 04:48 PM

Try to run it?

What is the software?

latitudedebian · 02-17-2017, 05:01 PM

Also a newbie so not sure if this is the best solution but I always do $ softwarename --version

So for e.g. apt-get that would be:

Code:

user@debian:~$ apt-get --version
apt 1.0.9.8.4 for amd64 compiled on Dec 11 2016 09:48:19
Supported modules:
*Ver: Standard .deb
 Pkg:  Debian APT solver interface (Priority -1000)
*Pkg:  Debian dpkg interface (Priority 30)
 S.L: 'deb' Standard Debian binary tree
 S.L: 'deb-src' Standard Debian source tree
 Idx: EDSP scenario file
 Idx: Debian Source Index
 Idx: Debian Package Index
 Idx: Debian Translation Index
 Idx: Debian dpkg status file

If you don't get an 'answer' it's probably not installed.

Habitual · 02-17-2017, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh2017

Hi all, I am new to this forum and Linux. Recently I am working on a project requires installing a piece of SW. I am told this SW is installed on a Debian 8 mechanic already from the source. How can I verify that?

So, you didn't install it?
Did this "mechanic"?
Is this a translation issue?

What is the Software (don't use sms-speak here, Please)

Welcome to LQ Josh!

hydrurga · 02-17-2017, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Habitual

So, you didn't install it?
Did this "mechanic"?
Is this a translation issue?

What is the Software (don't use sms-speak here, Please)

Welcome to LQ Josh!

mechanic = machine (probably)

Josh2017 · 02-18-2017, 09:04 AM

sorry for the typo. A Debian 8 machine. The software is aircrack-ng suite.

hydrurga · 02-18-2017, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh2017

sorry for the typo. A Debian 8 machine. The software is aircrack-ng suite.

If it was manually installed, dpkg may not know of it, so the suggestion that you received of simply trying to run it should be the best bet:

aircrack-ng

on the command line.

If nothing:

whereis aircrack-ng

If nothing, the chances are that it isn't installed.

Shadow_7 · 02-18-2017, 01:02 PM

$ which PROGNAME

And various ways to check it, strings, file, hexedit, cmp, and md5sum. You don't have to install some programs to use them. But I guess it depends on how you define installed. I build the sources for the cwm window manager, and launch it with .xinitrc from the built location. I don't ever make install. But at that point I'm already not using the package management system, so what's the point of make install. Except to make it available to "other" users. But that's not how my system gets used, so it works for me.

chrism01 · 02-19-2017, 10:47 PM

Assuming this is from src and not from a pkg and assuming it creates a file called aircrack-ng

Code:

find / -name aircrack-ng -type f

NB: this may take a while but it will definitely find the file so named ... wildcards are avail eg

Code:

find / -name 'aircrack*' -type f

although this will obviously take longer...

frankbell · 02-20-2017, 07:55 PM

Code:

whereis [program name]

also an option. It searches only for "the binary, source, and manual page files for a command." See man whereis for more.

I quite like it for finding out whether programs are present.

Habitual · 02-21-2017, 09:36 AM

but find and friends will only give the indication of presence, not necessarily its installation status.

Your post is a little vague, is this "aircrack-ng from source" the sole installation?

Ztcoracat · 02-21-2017, 11:34 PM

Try:

Code:

dpkg -L <name of software>

If dpkg knows about it, it will be confirmed that it's installed.

Aircrack-ng is a complete suite of tools to assess WiFi network security.

https://www.aircrack-ng.org/

Ztcoracat · 02-21-2017, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh2017

sorry for the typo. A Debian 8 machine. The software is aircrack-ng suite.

Is this what you downloaded and installed?

Code:

aircrack-ng-1.2-rc4.tar.gz

?