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Make a Linux file executable and run it with ease
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If you want to run an executable file, such as a file that ends with the .RUN file extension, you'll need to make it executable first. .RUN files usually contain program data and installation instructions for Linux software, and you may come across them when downloading programs from the web. This wikiHow will teach you how to execute .RUN files in Linux, plus run any other executable Linux file, using the terminal or a file manager .
Quick Steps
- Open a Terminal window.
- Use the command chmod +x <filename> to make the file executable.
- To run the file, type . /filename and press Enter .
Steps
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Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a Terminal window. If you need to run a file in Linux from the command line, it's easy to do as long as the file is executable. If it isn't, you can change the file permissions so you can execute it.
- If you are not already in the directory that contains the file you want to run, use the cd command to enter that directory now.
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2Check the file's permissions. To see if the file is executable, enter the directory in which you've saved the file, then use the command ls -l . Or, you can use ls -l <filename.run> to view permissions of that file only. [1] X Research source
- The first column contains the permissions, which can be Read (r), Write (w), or Execute (x). It will look something like this: -rw-r--r--
- These are three sets of permissions: rw- , r-- , and r-- .
- The dash at the beginning just indicates that this is a file, not a directory. If it were a directory, the leading dash would be replaced with a d , e.g., drw-r--r-- .
- The first permissions are for the file's owner (the user whose name appears next to the permissions), the second for the group , and the third for everyone else.
- In this example, the file is not executable because there are no x (executable) permissions.
- If the file ends with the .RUN extension, it's usually meant to install Linux software. You can usually find a version of the same application in your package manager (e.g., Ubuntu Software or Apt ) or the SNAP store .
Advertisement - The first column contains the permissions, which can be Read (r), Write (w), or Execute (x). It will look something like this: -rw-r--r--
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Type chmod +x <filename> and press ↵ Enter . For example, if the file is called installer.run , you'd type chmod +x installer.run . This will make the file executable.
- If you only want to make the file executable for yourself, use chmod u+x <filename.run> instead.
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4Type . / <filename> and press ↵ Enter to execute the file. For example, ./installer.run will run the executable program installer.run .
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1Open your file manager. You can run any executable file, including .RUN files, directly from your file manager. Look for an application called Files, File Manager, or similar in your app list.
- By default, double-clicking an executable file in your file manager should run the file. If it doesn't run the file, it's usually because the file is not executable. [2] X Research source
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2Open the file's properties. In the default file manager in Ubuntu and many other versions of Linux, you can do this by right-clicking (or control-clicking) the file you want to run and selecting Properties . It should be similar in other file managers.
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3Click the Permissions tab. This will usually be at the top of the window.
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4Check the box next to "Executable" or "Is executable" and save. Once you've made the file executable, you can run it right from your file manager.
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5Double-click the file you want to run in your file manager. This will execute the file.
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Tips
- You can find most of the software you need in your package manager. When you use your package manager to install software, you won't have to mess around with permissions.Thanks
- Since RUN files install software, make sure it's legitimate and won't harm your computer before executing it. RUN files from suspicious links can contain malware and damage your computer.Thanks
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About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Open the Terminal.
2. Type "cd" followed by the path of the file and press Enter
.
3. Type "sudo chmod +x " to change allow yourself permission to edit the file.
4. Type "./" to run the file.
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 127,720 times.
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