Apple Terminal
Read-onlyShow Your PATH One Entry Per Line
A tool runs from an unexpected location because PATH order is unclear.
Command
echo "$PATH" | tr ':' '\n' | nl -baBefore you run this
System impact: Read-only. Low when scoped to the shown target.
When not to use it: Do not use it as proof that a command exists. Pair it with command -v for that.
Expected output
A numbered list of PATH directories in search order.
System impact
Read-only. Nothing changes. The command formats PATH for easier reading.
Recovery / rollback: no state is changed.
When to use it
Use when Homebrew, npm, pyenv, rbenv, or Xcode command line tools seem to resolve the wrong executable.
When not to use it
Do not use it as proof that a command exists. Pair it with command -v for that.
Watch this command run
Command transcript
This sanitized transcript shows the commands and output shape without exposing host details.
$ PATH_FIXTURE='/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin'; echo "$PATH_FIXTURE"
/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin$ PATH_FIXTURE='/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin'; echo "$PATH_FIXTURE" | tr ':' '\n' | nl -ba
1 /opt/homebrew/bin
2 /usr/local/bin
3 /usr/bin
4 /binView commands shown
These are the commands shown in the sanitized transcript.
Commands shown
PATH_FIXTURE='/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin'; echo "$PATH_FIXTURE"PATH_FIXTURE='/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin'; echo "$PATH_FIXTURE" | tr ':' '\n' | nl -ba
next steps
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Study mapping
Use this as independent command practice: read the notes, predict the output, then compare it with the example before using a real shell.
Useful for
- LPIC-1 style command-line practice
- LFCS style performance tasks
- Linux+ style troubleshooting review
Independent study support only. No affiliation, endorsement, exam dumps, or real exam questions.