What does “./” mean in linux?
I’ve just been reading Apache - The Definitive Guide and on page 29 it tells us to type the following into the Linux command line:
% ./Configure
I have no idea what significance the dot and the forward slash (./) have in relation to this command. I have attempted to look it up but my search came to nothing.
When I work it out - I’ll let you know. :o)
Feel free to comment with an answer!
April 28th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
In windows the dot and forward slash mean a directory path so just i guess they are the same in linux. but not sure!
September 28th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
The quick and easy explanation is that Unix/Linux command shells don’t search the current directory for commands, unless the current directory is listed in the $path variable. So, unless the command is built-in like ‘grep’, ‘type’, or ‘ls’, or the command’s path is listed in the $path variable, the command shell won’t find the command. Unless you specify the current directory as the path by typing “./[command]” at the command line. For more reading on the subject visit
http://www.kingcomputerservices.com/unix_101/traveling_down_the_unix_$PATH.htm. Hope that cleared things up a bit.
October 5th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Thanks for that William. Its a really difficult phrase to search for, so that article is really useful.