exa is a utility that gives a nicer and more complete output than the command "ls". I read about it here (https://www.linuxlinks.com/excellent-utilities-exa-replacement-ls/), and wanted to try it. Problem is that the author provides instructions for installing in Arch, not Ubuntu. I tried to follow those instructions with what I thought were the equivalent commands. I got exa installed in the folder, ~/.cargo/bin, which is what should have happened. But when I tried the export command given in the instructions (export PATH=â€~/.cargo/bin:$PATHâ€) and then tried to run exa, it didn't recognize the program. Then, using a terminal, I went directly to its folder and ran the same command (exa -l), but again it wasn't recognized. Next I opened a new terminal and along with a .cargo/bin folder alongside. I dragged the exa icon onto the terminal, added "-l", hit return and it ran! I don't see what the difference is between clicking on the exa icon (which is executable) and dragging it into a terminal. I also don't see why the export command didn't work. And it didn't whether I added it to the bash.rc file or implemented it in the terminal and then tried the exa command.
One other thing I tried was, in a terminal, I went to the folder where exa is located and used the command "bash exa -l". The result: "exa: exa: cannot execute binary file". I'm guessing that the application the executes exa isn't bash, and that pasting the icon is implementing the correct application, whereas typing it out isn't. I know that exa was written in rust, but putting "rust" in the terminal before "exa -l" doesn't help.
Is there a support question in here? If not, it should be in Linux Applications & Android apps which I will move it to but I just want to make sure you don't have an actual question.
Yes there is a support question. How to make exa operate just by typing its name in a terminal.
Okay, I'm not sure how to clean up what you've done. But I followed these steps instead (and it's easier):
- Go to the exa website and download the zip file for Linux from there (https://the.exa.website/install/linux)
- unzip it and you will have the executable
- Using sudo privileges, copy the executable to /usr/local/bin or really any directory within you path - you can find out your path by typing 'echo $PATH'
- Change the name of it to just 'exa' using the mv command
- Now you can use exa from anywhere
Thanks for that, Jason! The fix was even easier. I copied the executable binary exa file I had already downloaded into /usr/local/bin. So it seems that for some reason, putting it in the .cargo folder and adding a PATH command for it didn't do the trick.
Quote from: fox on December 31, 2019, 01:49:08 PM
Thanks for that, Jason! The fix was even easier. I copied the executable binary exa file I had already downloaded into /usr/local/bin. So it seems that for some reason, putting it in the .cargo folder and adding a PATH command for it didn't do the trick.
I have no idea what cargo is but it's easier just to put programs in the already-existing path than to modify it.