findprogram

Findprogram is a cross-platform command-line tool and library designed to locate executable programs and related files on a computer. It searches common execution paths and application directories, and can integrate with package manager registries to identify the correct installed instance of a given program. The utility resolves symbolic links and reports canonical paths, while providing metadata such as version information when available. Its goal is to offer a consistent way to determine program availability across diverse environments.

The project supports multiple operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS, and is implemented in a modular fashion to allow embedding in scripts or other software. It can operate as a standalone binary or as a library with APIs for languages such as C, Python, and others. A plugin system enables extensions for additional package managers, custom search paths, and specialized heuristics for locating nonstandard installations. The design emphasizes predictable output, deterministic behavior, and fast repeated queries through caching.

Key features include path discovery through PATH and standard directories, integration with package managers (such as apt, dnf, brew, winget, and choco), and version detection when available. It supports multiple candidates, configurable priority rules, and the option to select a preferred result or report all matches. Output formats include plain text and structured formats like JSON to facilitate automation, with exit codes indicating success or failure.

Usage commonly involves querying a single program name, requesting all matches, or formatting output for scripts. For example, a user might run findprogram python3 to obtain its path, or findprogram --format json gcc to obtain machine-readable data. See also related utilities such as which, where, and command -v in various shells.