Windows
Linux
Package Management
Windows where equivalent in Linux
Locates the full path of an executable command or program.
Windows
→
where
Linux equivalents
which / whereis
which / whereis
which / whereis
Overview
What this command does
Locates the full path of an executable command or program.
Migration tip:
which shows just the path of the executable. whereis also finds man pages and source files. Useful for knowing which version of a program will run.Practical tasks
Common use cases
Find where a command is installed
Locates the full path of an executable command or program.
which python3
Path to python3 executable
whereis git
Binary, man page, and source paths
type ls
Shows if it's an alias, function, or binary
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
which python3
which git
whereis nginx
type ls
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: where python
which python3 # /usr/bin/python3
which git # /usr/bin/git
whereis nginx # binary + man page locations
type ls # ls is aliased to 'ls --color=auto'Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
which python3 | Path to python3 executable |
whereis git | Binary, man page, and source paths |
type ls | Shows if it's an alias, function, or binary |
command -v curl | Script-safe way to check if cmd exists |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
This command is the same on Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch Linux when the relevant tool is installed.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | which / whereis |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | which / whereis |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | which / whereis |
Same command on this distribution. |
Keep learning