What is PATH?
PATH is the list of folders your shell searches to find a program when you type its name.
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PATH is an environment variable holding a list of directories separated by colons (semicolons on Windows). When you type python, the shell walks through those folders in order and runs the first file called python it finds. It is a list of places to look, like checking the kitchen drawer, then the garage, then the shed for the scissors.
The classic error command not found usually means the program is installed somewhere not on your PATH. Installers for Node, Go, Rust and Homebrew add lines to your shell config to extend it. Order matters: a folder earlier in the list wins, which is how a virtual environment makes its own python take priority.
echo $PATH
which python3
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"See also: What is an environment variable? and What is a shell?
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See also
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- 0051 Environment variables and PATH Environment variables are named settings that every program inherits from the shell. PATH is the one that tells the shell where to… Beginner · Explains an idea · Linux, macOS Article Basics 15 Oct 2026
- 0057 Shell cheat sheet: everyday commands A quick reference for moving around, managing files, viewing and searching text, checking processes and disk space in bash and zsh, with… Beginner · Cheat sheet · Linux, macOS Article Basics · Command-line tools 15 Oct 2026
- 0284 What is a shell? A shell is the program that reads the commands you type and tells the operating system to run them. Beginner · Explains an idea · Any system Article Basics 15 Oct 2026
- 0285 What is a terminal? A terminal is the window where you type commands; the shell inside it does the actual work. Beginner · Explains an idea · Any system Article Basics 15 Oct 2026
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