What are the reasons why commands like whereis or which do not show me location of command? E.g. I have nvm and want to know where is it located, but none of these command help me to find the binary. Should I use only find in this case?
UPDATE
Here is long output of type nvm
$ type nvm
nvm is a function
nvm ()
{
if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
nvm help;
return;
fi;
local uname="$(uname -a)";
local os=;
local arch="$(uname -m)";
case "$uname" in
Linux\ *)
os=linux
;;
Darwin\ *)
os=darwin
;;
SunOS\ *)
os=sunos
;;
FreeBSD\ *)
os=freebsd
;;
esac;
case "$uname" in
*x86_64*)
arch=x64
;;
*i*86*)
arch=x86
;;
*armv6l*)
arch=arm-pi
;;
esac;
local VERSION;
local ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS;
case $1 in
"help")
echo;
echo "Node Version Manager";
echo;
echo "Usage:";
echo " nvm help Show this message";
echo " nvm install [-s] <version> Download and install a <version>, [-s] from source";
echo " nvm uninstall <version> Uninstall a version";
echo " nvm use <version> Modify PATH to use <version>";
echo " nvm run <version> [<args>] Run <version> with <args> as arguments";
echo " nvm current Display currently activated version";
echo " nvm ls List installed versions";
echo " nvm ls <version> List versions matching a given description";
echo " nvm ls-remote List remote versions available for install";
echo " nvm deactivate Undo effects of NVM on current shell";
echo " nvm alias [<pattern>] Show all aliases beginning with <pattern>";
echo " nvm alias <name> <version> Set an alias named <name> pointing to <version>";
echo " nvm unalias <name> Deletes the alias named <name>";
echo " nvm copy-packages <version> Install global NPM packages contained in <version> to current version";
echo;
echo "Example:";
echo " nvm install v0.10.24 Install a specific version number";
echo " nvm use 0.10 Use the latest available 0.10.x release";
echo " nvm run 0.10.24 myApp.js Run myApp.js using node v0.10.24";
echo " nvm alias default 0.10.24 Set default node version on a shell";
echo;
echo "Note:";
echo " to remove, delete or uninstall nvm - just remove ~/.nvm, ~/.npm and ~/.bower folders";
echo
;;
"install")
local binavail;
local t;
local url;
local sum;
local tarball;
local shasum='shasum';
local nobinary;
if ! has "curl"; then
echo 'NVM Needs curl to proceed.' 1>&2;
fi;
if ! has "shasum"; then
shasum='sha1sum';
fi;
if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
nvm help;
return;
fi;
shift;
nobinary=0;
if [ "$1" = "-s" ]; then
nobinary=1;
shift;
fi;
if [ "$os" = "freebsd" ]; then
nobinary=1;
fi;
VERSION=`nvm_remote_version $1`;
ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS='';
shift;
while [ $# -ne 0 ]; do
ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS="$ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS $1";
shift;
done;
[ -d "$NVM_DIR/$VERSION" ] && echo "$VERSION is already installed." && return;
if [ $nobinary -ne 1 ]; then
if [ -n "$os" ]; then
binavail=;
case "$VERSION" in
v0.8.[012345])
binavail=0
;;
v0.[1234567].*)
binavail=0
;;
*)
binavail=1
;;
esac;
if [ $binavail -eq 1 ]; then
t="$VERSION-$os-$arch";
url="http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/node-${t}.tar.gz";
sum=`curl -s http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/SHASUMS.txt | \grep node-${t}.tar.gz | awk '{print $1}'`;
local tmpdir="$NVM_DIR/bin/node-${t}";
local tmptarball="$tmpdir/node-${t}.tar.gz";
if ( mkdir -p "$tmpdir" && curl -L -C - --progress-bar $url -o "$tmptarball" && nvm_checksum `${shasum} "$tmptarball" | awk '{print $1}'` $sum && tar -xzf "$tmptarball" -C "$tmpdir" --strip-components 1 && rm -f "$tmptarball" && mv "$tmpdir" "$NVM_DIR/$VERSION" ); then
nvm use $VERSION;
return;
else
echo "Binary download failed, trying source." 1>&2;
rm -rf "$tmptarball" "$tmpdir";
fi;
fi;
fi;
fi;
echo "Additional options while compiling: $ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS";
tarball='';
sum='';
make='make';
if [ "$os" = "freebsd" ]; then
make='gmake';
fi;
local tmpdir="$NVM_DIR/src";
local tmptarball="$tmpdir/node-$VERSION.tar.gz";
if [ "`curl -Is "http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/node-$VERSION.tar.gz" | \grep '200 OK'`" != '' ]; then
tarball="http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/node-$VERSION.tar.gz";
sum=`curl -s http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/SHASUMS.txt | \grep node-$VERSION.tar.gz | awk '{print $1}'`;
else
if [ "`curl -Is "http://nodejs.org/dist/node-$VERSION.tar.gz" | \grep '200 OK'`" != '' ]; then
tarball="http://nodejs.org/dist/node-$VERSION.tar.gz";
fi;
fi;
if ( [ ! -z $tarball ] && mkdir -p "$tmpdir" && curl -L --progress-bar $tarball -o "$tmptarball" && if [ "$sum" = "" ]; then
:;
else
nvm_checksum `${shasum} "$tmptarball" | awk '{print $1}'` $sum;
fi && tar -xzf "$tmptarball" -C "$tmpdir" && cd "$tmpdir/node-$VERSION" && ./configure --prefix="$NVM_DIR/$VERSION" $ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS && $make && rm -f "$NVM_DIR/$VERSION" 2> /dev/null && $make install ); then
nvm use $VERSION;
if ! has "npm"; then
echo "Installing npm...";
if [[ "`expr match $VERSION '\(^v0\.1\.\)'`" != '' ]]; then
echo "npm requires node v0.2.3 or higher";
else
if [[ "`expr match $VERSION '\(^v0\.2\.\)'`" != '' ]]; then
if [[ "`expr match $VERSION '\(^v0\.2\.[0-2]$\)'`" != '' ]]; then
echo "npm requires node v0.2.3 or higher";
else
curl https://npmjs.org/install.sh | clean=yes npm_install=0.2.19 sh;
fi;
else
curl https://npmjs.org/install.sh | clean=yes sh;
fi;
fi;
fi;
else
echo "nvm: install $VERSION failed!";
return 1;
fi
;;
"uninstall")
[ $# -ne 2 ] && nvm help && return;
if [[ $2 == `nvm_version` ]]; then
echo "nvm: Cannot uninstall currently-active node version, $2.";
return 1;
fi;
VERSION=`nvm_version $2`;
if [ ! -d $NVM_DIR/$VERSION ]; then
echo "$VERSION version is not installed...";
return;
fi;
t="$VERSION-$os-$arch";
rm -rf "$NVM_DIR/src/node-$VERSION" "$NVM_DIR/src/node-$VERSION.tar.gz" "$NVM_DIR/bin/node-${t}" "$NVM_DIR/bin/node-${t}.tar.gz" "$NVM_DIR/$VERSION" 2> /dev/null;
echo "Uninstalled node $VERSION";
for A in `\grep -l $VERSION $NVM_DIR/alias/* 2>/dev/null`;
do
nvm unalias `basename $A`;
done
;;
"deactivate")
if [[ $PATH == *$NVM_DIR/*/bin* ]]; then
export PATH=${PATH%$NVM_DIR/*/bin*}${PATH#*$NVM_DIR/*/bin:};
hash -r;
echo "$NVM_DIR/*/bin removed from \$PATH";
else
echo "Could not find $NVM_DIR/*/bin in \$PATH";
fi;
if [[ $MANPATH == *$NVM_DIR/*/share/man* ]]; then
export MANPATH=${MANPATH%$NVM_DIR/*/share/man*}${MANPATH#*$NVM_DIR/*/share/man:};
echo "$NVM_DIR/*/share/man removed from \$MANPATH";
else
echo "Could not find $NVM_DIR/*/share/man in \$MANPATH";
fi;
if [[ $NODE_PATH == *$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules* ]]; then
export NODE_PATH=${NODE_PATH%$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules*}${NODE_PATH#*$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules:};
echo "$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules removed from \$NODE_PATH";
else
echo "Could not find $NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules in \$NODE_PATH";
fi
;;
"use")
if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
nvm help;
return;
fi;
if [ $# -eq 1 ]; then
rc_nvm_version;
if [ ! -z $RC_VERSION ]; then
VERSION=`nvm_version $RC_VERSION`;
fi;
else
VERSION=`nvm_version $2`;
fi;
if [ -z $VERSION ]; then
nvm help;
return;
fi;
if [ -z $VERSION ]; then
VERSION=`nvm_version $2`;
fi;
if [ ! -d "$NVM_DIR/$VERSION" ]; then
echo "$VERSION version is not installed yet";
return 1;
fi;
if [[ $PATH == *$NVM_DIR/*/bin* ]]; then
PATH=${PATH%$NVM_DIR/*/bin*}$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/bin${PATH#*$NVM_DIR/*/bin};
else
PATH="$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/bin:$PATH";
fi;
if [ -z "$MANPATH" ]; then
MANPATH=$(manpath);
fi;
MANPATH=${MANPATH#*$NVM_DIR/*/man:};
if [[ $MANPATH == *$NVM_DIR/*/share/man* ]]; then
MANPATH=${MANPATH%$NVM_DIR/*/share/man*}$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/share/man${MANPATH#*$NVM_DIR/*/share/man};
else
MANPATH="$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/share/man:$MANPATH";
fi;
if [[ $NODE_PATH == *$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules* ]]; then
NODE_PATH=${NODE_PATH%$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules*}$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/lib/node_modules${NODE_PATH#*$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules};
else
NODE_PATH="$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/lib/node_modules:$NODE_PATH";
fi;
export PATH;
hash -r;
export MANPATH;
export NODE_PATH;
export NVM_PATH="$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/lib/node";
export NVM_BIN="$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/bin";
echo "Now using node $VERSION"
;;
"run")
if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
nvm help;
return;
fi;
VERSION=`nvm_version $2`;
if [ ! -d $NVM_DIR/$VERSION ]; then
echo "$VERSION version is not installed yet";
return;
fi;
if [[ $NODE_PATH == *$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules* ]]; then
RUN_NODE_PATH=${NODE_PATH%$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules*}$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/lib/node_modules${NODE_PATH#*$NVM_DIR/*/lib/node_modules};
else
RUN_NODE_PATH="$NVM_DIR/$VERSION/lib/node_modules:$NODE_PATH";
fi;
echo "Running node $VERSION";
NODE_PATH=$RUN_NODE_PATH $NVM_DIR/$VERSION/bin/node "${@:3}"
;;
"ls" | "list")
print_versions "`nvm_ls $2`";
if [ $# -eq 1 ]; then
echo -ne "current: \t";
nvm_version current;
nvm alias;
fi;
return
;;
"ls-remote" | "list-remote")
print_versions "`nvm_ls_remote $2`";
return
;;
"current")
echo -ne "current: \t";
nvm_version current
;;
"alias")
mkdir -p $NVM_DIR/alias;
if [ $# -le 2 ]; then
for ALIAS in $(nvm_set_nullglob; echo $NVM_DIR/alias/$2* );
do
DEST=`cat $ALIAS`;
VERSION=`nvm_version $DEST`;
if [ "$DEST" = "$VERSION" ]; then
echo "$(basename $ALIAS) -> $DEST";
else
echo "$(basename $ALIAS) -> $DEST (-> $VERSION)";
fi;
done;
return;
fi;
if [ ! "$3" ]; then
rm -f $NVM_DIR/alias/$2;
echo "$2 -> *poof*";
return;
fi;
mkdir -p $NVM_DIR/alias;
VERSION=`nvm_version $3`;
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "! WARNING: Version '$3' does not exist." 1>&2;
fi;
echo $3 > "$NVM_DIR/alias/$2";
if [ ! "$3" = "$VERSION" ]; then
echo "$2 -> $3 (-> $VERSION)";
else
echo "$2 -> $3";
fi
;;
"unalias")
mkdir -p $NVM_DIR/alias;
[ $# -ne 2 ] && nvm help && return;
[ ! -f $NVM_DIR/alias/$2 ] && echo "Alias $2 doesn't exist!" && return;
rm -f $NVM_DIR/alias/$2;
echo "Deleted alias $2"
;;
"copy-packages")
if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
nvm help;
return;
fi;
local VERSION=`nvm_version $2`;
local ROOT=`(nvm use $VERSION && npm -g root) | tail -n1`;
local ROOTDEPTH=$((`echo $ROOT | sed 's/[^\/]//g'|wc -m` -1));
local INSTALLS;
INSTALLS=(`nvm use $VERSION > /dev/null && npm -g -p ll | \grep "$ROOT\/[^/]\+$" | cut -d '/' -f $(($ROOTDEPTH + 2)) | cut -d ":" -f 2 | \grep -v npm | tr "\n" " "`);
npm install -g ${INSTALLS[@]}
;;
"clear-cache")
rm -f $NVM_DIR/v* 2> /dev/null;
echo "Cache cleared."
;;
"version")
print_versions "`nvm_version $2`"
;;
*)
nvm help
;;
esac
}
Best Answer
The
whichutility only searches your existing path for files, so if you cannot type "nvm" and have it run nvm, then which will not locate it.On the other hand,
whereissearches a hardcoded list of paths for the program, its manual page, and its source directory. It is possible that whereis will find something if nvm is not in your path, but if nvm is not in the hardcoded list of paths whereis searches, it will similarly be unsuccessful.As you imply,
findis a much more flexible utility for searching any path you desire for any type of file you can specify. If there is an nvm executable anywhere on your system, find can be used to hunt it down, regardless of it being in your system path.A fourth option to look into would be the
locatecommand, which uses an indexed database of files on your system to quickly find a file anywhere on your system, with a similarly simple invocation to which or whereis, e.g.locate nvm