How to Run a Program from the Command Line on Linux

If you are new to Linux, running a program from the command line might seem a bit daunting at first. However, once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that it’s a powerful and efficient way to execute various applications. In this article, we will walk you through the process of running a program from the command line on a Linux system.

1. Open the Terminal

The first step is to open the terminal. You can do this by searching for ‘Terminal’ in the application menu or by using the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+T.

2. Navigate to the Program’s Directory

Once the terminal is open, use the ‘cd’ command to navigate to the directory where the program is located. For example, if your program is in a folder called ‘myprogram’, you would type ‘cd myprogram’.

3. Run the Program

Now that you are in the program’s directory, you can run the program by typing ‘./programname’ in the terminal and pressing Enter. Replace ‘programname’ with the actual name of the program you want to run.

4. Adding Arguments

If the program requires any arguments or parameters, you can add them after the program’s name. For example, ‘./programname argument1 argument2’.

5. Running as Superuser

Sometimes, you may need to run a program with superuser privileges. In such cases, you can use the ‘sudo’ command before the program name. For example, ‘sudo ./programname’.

By following these simple steps, you can easily run a program from the command line on your Linux system. It’s a handy skill to have, especially if you want to automate tasks or work more efficiently in a terminal environment.