protoc: command not found (Linux)

Question

I am trying to use Protobuf on Linux box. I downloaded the pre-compiled from github.

When I try to compile my .proto file or just check the protobuf version, it says

protoc: command not found.

I tried the same steps on Windows machine using pre-compiled protobuf version and it works fine there.

this sounds like an install issue rather than anything else; if you don't want to install it: does `./protoc` work? — Marc Gravell, Dec 07 '17 at 22:45
and you're in the folder with the protoc binary at the time? if you `ls`, does `protoc` appear? — Marc Gravell, Dec 07 '17 at 22:57
Most likely it uses different runtime linker that your system don't have, or just wrong architecture. You can check with `readelf -l protoc | grep interpreter`. — keltar, Dec 08 '17 at 07:06

score 46 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 07 '21 at 03:59

Install protoc for Linux and Mac

Linux

PROTOC_ZIP=protoc-3.15.8-linux-x86_64.zip
curl -OL https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/download/v3.15.8/$PROTOC_ZIP
sudo unzip -o $PROTOC_ZIP -d /usr/local bin/protoc
sudo unzip -o $PROTOC_ZIP -d /usr/local include/*
rm -f $PROTOC_ZIP

Mac OS X

brew install protobuf

Alternately, if you don't have Homebrew.

PROTOC_ZIP=protoc-3.15.8-osx-x86_64.zip
curl -OL https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/download/v3.15.8/$PROTOC_ZIP
sudo unzip -o $PROTOC_ZIP -d /usr/local bin/protoc
sudo unzip -o $PROTOC_ZIP -d /usr/local 'include/*'
rm -f $PROTOC_ZIP

source: http://google.github.io/proto-lens/installing-protoc.html

score 12 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 03 '21 at 14:46

12

For Linux Ubuntu 20, only install with snap

snap install protobuf --classic

or via apt, with:

sudo apt install protobuf-compiler

answered Jun 03 '21 at 14:46

GiovannyLucas

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or `apk add protoc` on Alpine – Oliboy50 May 05 '23 at 09:42

Thao Nguyen Tien · Answer 3 · 2018-11-22T03:00:56.367

5

You can try it:

Install grpc and protobuf

brew install grpc protobuf

edited Nov 22 '18 at 03:00

answered Jun 21 '18 at 14:37

Thao Nguyen Tien

851
11
9

score 5 · Answer 4 · edited Dec 08 '20 at 18:54

I know this question is specifically asked for Linux and I could n't find any question as it relates to solving this error on Windows.

This might help people who encounter the same error on windows.

Step 1: Download the windows distribution (protoc-3.5.0-win32.zip) from the link protobuf and unzip locally to a folder

Step 2 : Add the folder path to the path in the system environment variables.

Step 3: close the command prompt, restart the command prompt and try the command protoc

score 4 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 15 '18 at 14:50

4

I might be late to the party but I also had "command not found" when trying to run protoc. It turned out it was just missing the execute permission. A quick chmod +x protoc fixed this for me.

answered Jan 15 '18 at 14:50

Richard Adnams

3,128
2
22
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protoc: command not found (Linux)

5 Answers5