command not found — how to fix

bash: somecommand: command not found

Quick fix: Check if it's installed with type somecommand. If not, install it (Ubuntu suggests the package). If it's installed somewhere like ~/.local/bin, add that folder to PATH in ~/.bashrc.

What it means

When you type a command, the shell searches the directories listed in $PATH, in order. None of them contains an executable with that name.

Step 1: is it a typo?

Commands are case-sensitive. Git is not git.

Step 2: is it installed?

type somecommand
which -a somecommand

On Ubuntu/Debian, the "command not found" message often suggests a package. Otherwise search for it:

apt search somecommand          # Debian/Ubuntu
dnf provides '*/somecommand'    # Fedora/RHEL
brew search somecommand         # macOS

Step 3: installed, but not on PATH

Tools installed by pip (--user), pipx, npm (global), cargo, go or a manual download often live in folders not on PATH by default:

Installed by	Folder
pip --user / pipx	`~/.local/bin`
npm -g (custom prefix)	`~/.npm-global/bin`
cargo	`~/.cargo/bin`
go install	`~/go/bin`

Add the folder to PATH (bash: ~/.bashrc, zsh: ~/.zshrc):

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Step 4: it works in one terminal but not another

You installed it in this session and the shell cached the old PATH: run hash -r or open a new terminal.
sudo uses a restricted PATH (secure_path), so sudo mytool may fail even though mytool works. Use the full path: sudo "$(which mytool)".
cron and systemd jobs run with a minimal PATH. Use absolute paths in those scripts.

Running a file in the current directory

The current folder is not on PATH. Run it as ./myscript, not myscript.

Last updated 2026-10-27.