What does “./” (dot forward slash) 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 had 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!
See comments below for the answer –>
Very short answer: It’s equivalent to path to current directory.
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.
November 2nd, 2010 at 4:03 am
That means a directory path in both linux and windows.
May 29th, 2011 at 2:38 am
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Extremely useful info particularly the last part :) I care for such info a lot. I was seeking this particular information for a long time. Thank you and good luck.
August 19th, 2011 at 8:39 am
Thanks, William! I was having trouble finding results for that search as well.
To add to what you’ve said: In Windows, if you call a directory listing (dir) from a command prompt, you’ll always see two odd entries - “.” and “..”. That’s a single dot and two dots. The double dot stands for the parent directory. Hence, if you type “cd ..” it will take you “up” to the parent folder. The single dot stands for the current directory. So when you type “./cool_prog” the OS knows to run “cool_prog” from the current directory.
Thanks again!
September 27th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Hi William
Your explanation is to the point and very useful for beginners like me. Thanks for the details