PATH is an environmental variable in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems that tells the shell which directories to search for executable files (i.e., ready-to-run programs) in response to commands issued by a user.

What is PATH variable in UNIX?

The PATH Environment Variable

It’s essentially a : -separated list of directories. When you execute a command, the shell searches through each of these directories, one by one, until it finds a directory where the executable exists.

What is the function of the PATH variable?

PATH is an environment variable on Unix-like operating systems, DOS, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows, specifying a set of directories where executable programs are located. In general, each executing process or user session has its own PATH setting.