Mastering Linux Shell Scripting - Second Edition

Command PATH

Linux will check for executables in the PATH environment only when the full or relative path to the program is supplied. In general, the current directory is not searched unless it is in the PATH. It is possible to include our current directory within the PATH by adding the directory to the PATH variable. This is shown in the following command example:

$ export PATH=$PATH:.

This appends the current directory to the value of the PATH variable; each item in the PATH is separated using a colon. Now your PATH has been updated to include the current working directory and, each time you change directories, the scripts can be executed easily. In general, organizing scripts into a structured directory hierarchy is probably a great idea. ...