From: jwinstea@fenris.claremont.edu (Jim Winstead Jr.) Subject: Re: Binary locations Date: 9 Sep 1992 04:54:57 GMT
In article <y#sn22#.genie@netcom.com> genie@netcom.com (The Genie) writes:
>I've been using Linux for about 2 weeks now, and have found
>a small nit-picky problem. When I compile something
>or move a executable binary into a directory, Linux refuses
>to recognize the existence of the binary unless
>1) I source my .cshrc which includes paths
>2) The new binary must be located in the binary path.
>
>Is there a way for Linux to automatically recognize binaries
>and execute them in any directory besides those listed
>in the path + to recognize a new binary when placed in
>a directory (in essence, I have to source the .cshrc to
>tell Linux to check all the paths for all binaries).
>Isn't automatically recognizing binaries a normal feature
>of SunOS, Ultrix, and Dynix? Or is there something I
>must set correctly for this feature to work?
Um, I think you've completely missed the point of the PATH variable
and how executables are found by your shell.
Executables will only be run by your shell if they are listed in one
of the directories on your PATH, or if you specify a complete (or
relative) pathname such as ./foo, or /usr/users/jwinstea/foo.
Arbitrarily locating executables is not a misfeature of any operating
system (or shell) that I've ever worked with or heard about in my
reasonably varied experience.
You don't need to source your .cshrc for your shell (*not* Linux) to
recognize the executables in the directories in your path - the shell
looks through the directories each time to find the program you
specify (small caveat: most modern shells keep some sort of cache of
previously-located executables).
The Linux kernel will run any executable that the shell (or other
programs) tells it to run. It is the job of the shell to search the
PATH for the executables.
--
+ Jim Winstead Jr. (CSci '95)
| Harvey Mudd College, WIBSTR
| jwinstea@jarthur.Claremont.EDU
+ or jwinstea@fenris.Claremont.EDU