run command from anywhere

theyikes · 01-13-2024, 03:11 PM

Hello! I don't know if this has been asked before but to be honest i don't really know how to ask this question. I'll try to explain. I have a command that i run on kubuntu but each time i do i have to put in the folder and file location of the command. Is there any way of running it without entering the filepath?

i tried export PATH=$PATH:/

i was trying to set the folder path, i tried setting it for each individual file and it works. but is there anyway i can just specify a folder rather than a single file?

uteck · 01-13-2024, 03:34 PM

You can set this in your .profile config, or you could make a folder called bin in your home and put it there, or link it. The $HOME/bin folder is for user owned binaries that do not require root access to run or install.
Another option is /opt/bin which may still need adding to your .profile.

Forgot to add that yo need to re-login or re-read the new config file with:

Code:

source .profile

maybeJosiah · 01-13-2024, 04:29 PM

You could also maybe use .bashrc in your home directory. Just write a line at end to export whatever script you want like you were exporting but this makes it always exported. You need to access a hidden file to do this.

Quote:

export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/your/file.sh

If you do not want to log out and log back in:

Quote:

source ~/.bashrc

Otherwise you will need to log out then relogin. Hope this helps. X E.

enigma9o7 · 01-13-2024, 05:36 PM

Alternatively, if you don't want to add another directory to your path, you could add a simlink in a directory that's already in your path.

For example, if "~/.local/bin" is in your path (check with "echo $PATH") and what you want to run from anywhere is in "~/foldername" and called "appname" then

Code:

ln -s ~/foldername/appname ~/.local/bin

No restart of anything required.

michaelk · 01-13-2024, 06:14 PM

As another alternative depending on if you want your commands accessible by all users would be to put them in /usr/local/bin. Its in the default PATH environment so nothing to change.

MadeInGermany · 01-17-2024, 03:10 AM

@maybeJosiah
There is a mistake: PATH contains the directories of executables.
If you have an executable /path/to/your/file.sh
then it must be

Code:

export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/your

for bash.
This is good for .profile (common to bash and sh) or .bash_profile (bash only).
It depends on your distro if/when a .profile is used.

Otherwise put it in .bashrc that is always run when a bash starts. To avoid multiple addings in nested shells I would go for

Code:

addp=$HOME/bin
case ":$PATH:" in
( *":$addp:"* )
;;
( * )
  export PATH=$PATH:$addp
  mkdir -p "$addp"
esac
unset addp

It only adds $HOME/bin to the PATH if it's not yet there.

Many distros have $HOME/bin by default. Then you simply move your executables there.

Code:

mv myexecutable $HOME/bin/

maybeJosiah · 01-17-2024, 11:18 AM

Ah yes MadeInGermany, thank you. Sorry for that last error. X E.