[SOLVED] bash: a.out: command not found.

[warrentang]

I've compiled a c program in Linux with the following command:
gcc hello.c

When I type "a.out" and try to execute it, it says:
bash: a.out: command not found.

But I can see the a.out file in the folder.

By searching the internet I know I can use "./a.out" to execute it.

Why do I need to use "./a.out" instead of "a.out"?

[techieMoe]

Why do I need to use "./a.out" instead of "a.out"?

Bash tries to execute commands based on your PATH. It's an environment variable that tells Bash where to find programs. Usually your PATH points to /bin/ and /usr/bin/ and perhaps a few other directories. Bash can't find a.out in those directories, so it throws an error.

By prefacing a command with ./ you're telling Bash to include the current directory you're working in when it looks for the executable named "a.out".

[warrentang]

Thank you for that info!