Linux: Curl installed but -bash: :curl: command not found

Question

Running Debian Stretch on an r710. Using the non-free/contrib build for driver support.

When I try to use packages that I've installed (curl, zpool, etc), I have to include the path to the package... Which is a pain when I don't always know where packages install to.

Two questions:

How do I remedy the path issue in the short term?
How do I amend Debian so that when packages are installed, their paths update/install automatically?

Sudo apt-get install. So in the case of curl: sudo apt-get install curl — Chase Westlye, Apr 09 '19 at 20:15
What is the path to `curl` in this case that you have to specify? `/usr/bin/curl`? If so you've just messed up your `PATH` in your `.bashrc` or similar. — that other guy, Apr 09 '19 at 20:16
"which curl" gives me /usr/bin/curl. I have not made modifications to paths or otherwise and I think the missing paths are an artifact of the Debian ISO I pulled down. Which is why I'm trying to figure out how to get paths to install/work correctly moving forward. — Chase Westlye, Apr 09 '19 at 20:20
What exactly is the command you're running that fails? Your error message says `-bash: :curl: command not found` but that would imply you're running `:curl` instead of `curl` — that other guy, Apr 09 '19 at 20:22
This is still really weird. In the first case you have an extra colon. In the second case you're missing a colon. Please make sure to copy-paste the error exactly, [it matters a lot](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/359146/why-should-i-post-complete-errors-why-isnt-the-message-itself-enough). What does `echo "$PATH"` say? — that other guy, Apr 09 '19 at 20:25
`~/.bashrc` or `/etc/environment` are messed up; "I have to include the path to ..." says it all. — Martin Zeitler, Apr 09 '19 at 20:36
@MartinZeitler That's what I would have assumed as well, but apparently `which` is found without a path, and is in turn able to find `curl`. — that other guy, Apr 09 '19 at 20:43
@thatotherguy also `/etc/profile` or `/etc/profile.d` could be at fault... or even `/etc/bashrc`. — Martin Zeitler, Apr 09 '19 at 20:46

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 17 '20 at 21:51

1

Just install it by:

apt install curl

or sudo apt install curl

answered Oct 17 '20 at 21:51

rbsomeg

67
4

wuseman · Answer 2 · 2019-04-09T20:33:35.910

0

Find where the command is stored by

which <command>

Either you can try run curl from the output above for example /usr/bin/curl then try execute this:

 /usr/bin/curl

For a temporary fix until you solve the real problem you can do:

cd /usr/local/bin; ln -s $(which curl) curl

Or you can just set an alias:

echo "alias curl='$(which curl)'" >> ~/.bashrc; . ~/.bashrc

Troubleshoot your problem:

Check so PATH folder has the correct paths exported:

printf "%s\n" $PATH

Modify current PATH

Use the export command to add new paths and see if that works you can then update your ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile, but first you can try in shell without adding it permanent to $PATH

export PATH=$PATH:/missed/bin/folder

To format your PATH variable for easy viewing in future you can add below function to your .bashrc

function path(){
    old=$IFS
    IFS=:
    printf "%s\n" $PATH
    IFS=$old
 }

edited Apr 09 '19 at 20:33

answered Apr 09 '19 at 20:26

wuseman

1,259
12
20

2

I have done: $ docker run -it --name flask_test ubuntu /bin/bash Then: $ curl returns "bash: curl: command not found" Then $ which curl returns nothing. – Alex 75 Sep 22 '19 at 12:29
@Alex75 I have same issue too. Do you have any solutions for this error? – Jerry Chong Oct 27 '22 at 16:19
2

@JerryChong, I think the current ubuntu:latest don't have "curl" preinstalled. ``apt-get update && apt-get install curl`` will install it. THEN ``which curl`` will return "/usr/bin/curl". – Alex 75 Oct 28 '22 at 10:15
Correct @Alex75, I use Gentoo and I just tried Ubuntu so thx for the heads up! – wuseman Oct 30 '22 at 07:03