Can't Execute Binary on Ubuntu

linux ubuntu ubuntu-9.10 bash perforce

11,568

Solution 1

Ok, I got the file from your URL (its under 800KB) and tried this (from a Cygwin terminal which was handy).

$ file p4
p4: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), for GNU/Linux 2.2.5, dynamically linked (uses shared libs), stripped

But, you expect it to be statically linked, Why?

Update: Just to be sure, please confirm you are running a 32-bit Ubuntu.
If you are running a 64-bit system, you probably need the 'ia32-libs' package.

Solution 2

chmod +x /usr/bin/p4

Solution 3

The intepreter readelf -a /usr/bin/p4 | grep interpreter points to is probably missing. It's probably shipped in some compat package as pointed out by other commenters.

Solution 4

That's what happens when your executable isn't valid, it might be for another architecture or for another kernel. Or just a corrupted ELF header.

Solution 5

try file ./p4 and see what it says. Chances are you don't have the right libraries installed to run it (so it cannot load the binary at all - you get the same issues with Windows if you don't have the right dlls)

View more solutions

11,568

AJ.

Making a difference one API at a time.

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

AJ. over 1 year
I am attempting install & configure Ubuntu on a machine. I just downloaded 'p4' (aka Perforce command line client). It's a single file download that is executed via a statically-linked executable binary, there for I downloaded it using the following:
```
wget http://www.perforce.com/downloads/perforce/r09.2/bin.linux26x86/p4
```
That dumped it right into the macines /usr/bin dir.

Simple enough, right?

Except...
```
root@aj-ubuntu:/usr/bin# ll p4 
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 748808 2010-02-11 16:54 p4
root@aj-ubuntu:/usr/bin# ./p4 
-su: ./p4: No such file or directory
root@aj-ubuntu:/usr/bin# /usr/bin/p4 
-su: /usr/bin/p4: No such file or directory
```
What is happening here...?!
- Bibhas about 14 years
  
  Change the title Dude.. :-\
- AJ. about 14 years
  
  @Bibhas - fair enough.
- Admin about 12 years
  
  Update: Just to be sure, please confirm you are running a 32-bit Ubuntu. If you are running a 64-bit system, you probably need the 'ia32-libs' package. tks for the tip u just save me from 8 hours of pain in hell :)
AJ. about 14 years

@gbjbaanb - I tried 'ldd' and all it said was: " not a dynamic executable." I didn't know about 'file' though...I'll try that.
AJ. about 14 years

@nik - see my note to @gbjbaanb below. I tried 'ldd' and all it said was: " not a dynamic executable." So, I assumed it was statically linked.
quack quixote about 14 years

confirm, that's what file gives on my system as well. i don't have a running Linux system available at the moment so i can't check ldd.
quack quixote about 14 years

output: [Requesting program interpreter: /lib/ld-linux.so.2] ...
AJ. about 14 years

@nik - your update nailed it. i am running 64-bit ubuntu but the binary was built for 32-bit architecture. i installed ia32-libs and that fixed it, thanks.