FreeFileSync 11.12 run-file for Linux syntax error

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Joined: 31 Jul 2021

cehuisken

Hello,
updates worked fine every time I got some in the last years. Now version 11.12 for Linux brings up
FreeFileSync_11.12_Install.run: 1: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
so I cannot install this version. System is Linux ubuntu MATE 21.04, but same situation with Linux ubuntu MATE LTS 20.04
What ca I do?
cehuisken
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Zenju

How are you starting the installer?
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cehuisken

Tried different ways (file is marked as executable):
1. Double-click in Filemanager, started installation process always in the past without problems, this time not
2. Same as administrator, doesn't start anyway
3. In Terminal with sh FreeFileSync_11.12_Install.run (there I got the error message)
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Zenju

When in terminal, leave out the "sh ".
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cehuisken

Tried that too. Errormessage: Command not found
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Zenju

Can you copy and paste the full error message? There might be more hints regarding the underlying problem.
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cehuisken

Hello,
thanks for your help. Found the problem(s). I'm using FFS on different computers with different systems (ubuntu mate 21.04 and 20.04). On one computer it was a rights problem (transferred the run-file via network), an on one computer (21.04) it worked with
./FreeFileSync_11.12_Install.run
Without point an slash it did not work. So I see this is a Linux-problem, probably I can find why that system needs point and slash (another 21.04 did it without ...).
For here it is solved. Thank you.

cehuisken
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bgstack15

The .run file is a compiled x86_64 iirc, which means that you do not run it with sh or bash or any other shell. You need to mark it as executable (which you have already done) and then run it. The shell in which you run it will only look for the command names you give it, in the directories listed in the $PATH variable (colon-separated). So to run the FreeFileSync_11.12_Install.run binary, you need to tell it the path to the file, with the "./" which indicates the current directory. Dot is the relative path to the current directory. And dot-dot ".." is the parent directory.

Perhaps the system (your Ubuntu 21.04 system) has "." in the $PATH variable of your shell, which has security implications beyond the scope of the conversation here.