Terminal Commands Not Working

danj35 · danj35 #1 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 08:51 AM

Hi,

For some reason some terminal commands which I assume should be working by default are not working, including: netstat and lsof.

I am running on Snow Leopard, 10.6.8. I guess this might have something to with the terminal commands file? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dan

Dysfunction · Dysfunction #2 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 08:54 AM

What do you mean by 'not working'?

danj35 · danj35 #3 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 08:58 AM

It says 'command not found'.

Dysfunction · Dysfunction #4 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 09:02 AM

is /usr/sbin in your path?

danj35 · danj35 #5 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 09:04 AM

Yes it is. I can't see netstat or lsof in there. Quite odd. Is there a way of installing these?

Dysfunction · Dysfunction #6 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 09:12 AM

They SHOULD be installed by default. I'm not aware of any method of installing them manually. I don't believe that either require xCode to be installed.

danj35 · danj35 #7 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 09:14 AM

Bah. I can only find a netstat widget online. I have no idea why they're not there to begin with!

Dysfunction · Dysfunction #8 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 09:33 AM

Was this a new install? Used computer? etc?

could try a

sudo find / |grep lsof

and see it it's just in an oddball location I suppose

danj35 · danj35 #9 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 09:48 AM

I've inherited it at work and it seems as though you're right. Having now found the folder where there progs are I can only open them and not use them as commands e.g., 'netstat -r' or 'lsof -i -P | grep -i "listen"'. Any ideas how to amend this? Thanks for your help.

Dysfunction · Dysfunction #10 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 09:53 AM

Sure, you can simply add the directory to your path. You'd just need to add something like

export PATH=/path/to/commands:$PATH

to your .profile or .bashrc , etc then restart your terminal login

vansmith · vansmith #11 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 10:05 AM

I've no idea why this would have happened (why these binaries are in non-standard directories). I wonder how much is in non-standard locations...

Out of curiosity, where did you end up finding these tools?

IvanLasston · IvanLasston #12 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 10:06 AM

Are they executable? i.e.

Code:

ls -l netstat 
-r-xr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  218752 Jul 20 16:30 netstat*

The x bits should be set.
So they do have to be in the Path as dysfunction mentions, but they also have to be executable.

Code:

chmod 555 netstat

will change the file to an executable.

danj35 · danj35 #13 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 10:28 AM

It was in a folder named /usr/tbin/. Netstat is executable thanks. So to be clear (as a nube) I'm exporting to .profile using the command: '

Code:

export PATH=/usr/tbin:$PATH

'. In which case it didn't work (having restarted terminal). Thanks again for the help.

vansmith · vansmith #14 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 10:46 AM

The export command will only work for the session. You need to add that to your .bash_profile in your home directory such that the path is added every time you open up Terminal.

I don't understand why you have a /usr/tbin directory. Do you have /usr/sbin? If not, it's possible that sbin was moved to tbin (for whatever reason).

Dysfunction · Dysfunction #15 (**permalink**)

01-03-2012, 11:38 AM

Yes, if you have a .bash_profile you need to use that. If you don't, it should pick up .profile. Sounds like you have a .bash_profile.

Dysfunction #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 17, 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 6,588 Mac Specs: 2008 and 2011 15" mbps, late 11 iMac, iPhone 4s, and too many ipods and other stuff	01-03-2012, 08:54 AM What do you mean by 'not working'? mike This machine kills fascists Got # ? phear the command line!
	QUOTE Thanks

Dysfunction #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 17, 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 6,588 Mac Specs: 2008 and 2011 15" mbps, late 11 iMac, iPhone 4s, and too many ipods and other stuff	01-03-2012, 09:02 AM is /usr/sbin in your path? mike This machine kills fascists Got # ? phear the command line!
	QUOTE Thanks

danj35 #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 03, 2012 Posts: 6	01-03-2012, 09:04 AM Yes it is. I can't see netstat or lsof in there. Quite odd. Is there a way of installing these? Last edited by danj35; 01-03-2012 at 09:10 AM.
	QUOTE Thanks

Dysfunction #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 17, 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 6,588 Mac Specs: 2008 and 2011 15" mbps, late 11 iMac, iPhone 4s, and too many ipods and other stuff	01-03-2012, 09:12 AM They SHOULD be installed by default. I'm not aware of any method of installing them manually. I don't believe that either require xCode to be installed. mike This machine kills fascists Got # ? phear the command line!
	QUOTE Thanks

Dysfunction #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 17, 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 6,588 Mac Specs: 2008 and 2011 15" mbps, late 11 iMac, iPhone 4s, and too many ipods and other stuff	01-03-2012, 09:33 AM Was this a new install? Used computer? etc? could try a sudo find / \|grep lsof and see it it's just in an oddball location I suppose mike This machine kills fascists Got # ? phear the command line!
	QUOTE Thanks

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danj35 #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 03, 2012 Posts: 6	01-03-2012, 08:51 AM Hi, For some reason some terminal commands which I assume should be working by default are not working, including: netstat and lsof. I am running on Snow Leopard, 10.6.8. I guess this might have something to with the terminal commands file? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dan
	QUOTE Thanks

danj35 #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 03, 2012 Posts: 6	01-03-2012, 09:14 AM Bah. I can only find a netstat widget online. I have no idea why they're not there to begin with!
	QUOTE Thanks

danj35 #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 03, 2012 Posts: 6	01-03-2012, 09:48 AM I've inherited it at work and it seems as though you're right. Having now found the folder where there progs are I can only open them and not use them as commands e.g., 'netstat -r' or 'lsof -i -P \| grep -i "listen"'. Any ideas how to amend this? Thanks for your help.
	QUOTE Thanks

Dysfunction #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 17, 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 6,588 Mac Specs: 2008 and 2011 15" mbps, late 11 iMac, iPhone 4s, and too many ipods and other stuff	01-03-2012, 09:53 AM Sure, you can simply add the directory to your path. You'd just need to add something like export PATH=/path/to/commands:$PATH to your .profile or .bashrc , etc then restart your terminal login mike This machine kills fascists Got # ? phear the command line! Last edited by vansmith; 01-03-2012 at 10:02 AM. Reason: Disabled smileys so the command appears properly ;)
	QUOTE Thanks

vansmith #11 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 19, 2008 Location: Ottawa Posts: 15,453 Mac Specs: 2012 13" MBP (2.5 i5, 8GB)	01-03-2012, 10:05 AM I've no idea why this would have happened (why these binaries are in non-standard directories). I wonder how much is in non-standard locations... Out of curiosity, where did you end up finding these tools? Important Links: Community Guidelines : Use the reputation system if you've been helped. M-F Blog :: Write for the blog :: M-F IRC Channel - Chats every Sunday at 8PM EST.
	QUOTE Thanks

IvanLasston #12 (permalink)
Member Since: Feb 26, 2010 Location: Rocky Mountain High, Colorado Posts: 2,116 Mac Specs: 1.8 GHz i7 MBA 11" OSX 10.8.2	01-03-2012, 10:06 AM Are they executable? i.e. Code: ls -l netstat -r-xr-xr-x 1 root wheel 218752 Jul 20 16:30 netstat* The x bits should be set. So they do have to be in the Path as dysfunction mentions, but they also have to be executable. Code: chmod 555 netstat will change the file to an executable.
	QUOTE Thanks

danj35 #13 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 03, 2012 Posts: 6	01-03-2012, 10:28 AM It was in a folder named /usr/tbin/. Netstat is executable thanks. So to be clear (as a nube) I'm exporting to .profile using the command: ' Code: export PATH=/usr/tbin:$PATH '. In which case it didn't work (having restarted terminal). Thanks again for the help.
	QUOTE Thanks

vansmith #14 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 19, 2008 Location: Ottawa Posts: 15,453 Mac Specs: 2012 13" MBP (2.5 i5, 8GB)	01-03-2012, 10:46 AM The export command will only work for the session. You need to add that to your .bash_profile in your home directory such that the path is added every time you open up Terminal. I don't understand why you have a /usr/tbin directory. Do you have /usr/sbin? If not, it's possible that sbin was moved to tbin (for whatever reason). Important Links: Community Guidelines : Use the reputation system if you've been helped. M-F Blog :: Write for the blog :: M-F IRC Channel - Chats every Sunday at 8PM EST.
	QUOTE Thanks

Dysfunction #15 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 17, 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 6,588 Mac Specs: 2008 and 2011 15" mbps, late 11 iMac, iPhone 4s, and too many ipods and other stuff	01-03-2012, 11:38 AM Yes, if you have a .bash_profile you need to use that. If you don't, it should pick up .profile. Sounds like you have a .bash_profile. mike This machine kills fascists Got # ? phear the command line!
	QUOTE Thanks

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