Can't execute terminal commands: "the command 'sudo' is available in '/usr/bin/sudo'"

Question

I have been using Ubuntu 12.04 for quite a while and have never had a problem come at me out of the blue like this. I'm trying to install python 3.2 on my Ubuntu system and every time I run the code to compile the python source, I get this error:

'Command 'sudo' is available in '/usr/bin/sudo'
The command could not be located because '/usr/bin' is not included in the PATH environment variable.
sudo: command not found'

I've also tried running gksudo command to view what my environment shows but I pretty much get the same error.

Answer 1

As the error say, you should add /usr/bin directory to your PATH environment variable. To do this, run the following command in terminal:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin

After you can use sudo, you can edit /etc/environment file to make the change permanent, so, run in terminal:

sudo nano /etc/environment

to edit the file. Make sure that the path is something like this:

PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games"

Save and close the file with Ctrl+X and press Y when you are asked.

See also: How to add a directory to the PATH?

Answer 2

I got the problem and fixed it by editing my .bashrc file

1. Open up your .bashrc file using nano

   $ nano ~/.bashrc
   

2. Add the following line to the .bashrc file

   export PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:   /usr/local/games"
   

3. Press Ctrl+X to save the file

4. It will ask to chnage the file, press y and Enter.

You're done.

Answer 3

When you want to add a new value to the PATH system variable, you most likely add a new line to ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile files.

For example, if you want to add /opt/netbeans/bin to PATH, you must add this line to the end of ~/.bashrc file:

export PATH=$PATH:/opt/netbeans/bin

Let's break this line down.

• export PATH - Here we refer to the PATH variable
• = - We want to assign it a new value using the = operator (The rest of the string is the value that will be stored in the PATH)
• $PATH - We assign the variable PATH to the value that was in the variable before the current command
• : - We add a separator for the new value
• /opt/netbeans/bin - And add a new value to the PATH

---

You must see all of your refers to the PATH variable in the ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile files and make sure that you expand -

export PATH=$PATH:/opt/netbeans/bin

and not overwrite like this -

export PATH=/opt/netbeans/bin

the PATH variable

You must make sure, in every reference to the PATH you use $PATH: and your additional value after it

---

If it doesn't work, you may do something like this:

• Make sure, there is something like the next variable in /etc/environment file and it never redefined in this file:

PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games"

• Add missing paths from the above PATH variable to your PATH variable located in the /etc/environment

---

Before testing after each change in files don't remember to update your configs.

For example for ~/.bashrc file:

source `~/.bashrc`

Answer 4

This is an old thread but I got here following the same problem. In my case I most likely accidently edited a line in the ~/.bashrc file. By fixing the following line to appear as in the picture it solved my problem: [1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/V3vq0.png (mine had the ':' in the wrong place).

I don't think there is a need to add a line, just make sure the line with the PATH is correct(unless you also have your own scripts saved somewhere).

In order to get to the ~/.bashrc you can either use graphical methods (make sure to show hidden files) and go to the home folder. OR - use export PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin to enable some commands temporarily as was suggested here earlier, then open ~/.bashrc using

nano ~./bashrc