Before explaining how to execute .bin and .run files on your Debian, let us first define what exactly these file extensions are:
Bin File: A Binary or BIN file in Debian refers to installation packages, mostly self-extracting executables for installing software on your system. Although most software can be installed through the Debian Software Manager, from .deb packages, and .tar.xz packages, there is software that is not available in these formats. These mostly include newer software and newer versions, mostly beta, of software that is not available otherwise. The bin packages can easily be executed/run using the Debian command line, the Terminal.
Run File: These are also executable files typically used for Linux program installers. Run Files contain program data and instructions for making the installation, often used for distributing device drivers and software applications.
In this article, we will explain how to execute/run the file with .run and .bin extensions on Debian Linux.
We have run the commands and procedures mentioned in this article on a Debian 12 Buster system. We will be using the Debian command line, the Terminal, to explain how to run bin and run files. You can open the Terminal application easily through the system application launcher search. Click the Super/Windows key and then enter Terminal in the search bar as follows:
Note: Please make sure your .run and .bin files come from a reliable source, as executing an insecure file can damage your system and even compromise your system security.
Executing .bin and .run files
Running both the .run and .bin files is pretty simple in Debian.
We assume your bin/run file is already downloaded in a known location on your system.
Open the Terminal application and move to the location where you have saved the executable file.
For example, I would use the following command to move to my Downloads folder:
$ cd Downloads
Now use the following command to make your .bin/,run file executable:
For .bin file:
$ sudo chmod +x ./FILENAME.bin
For .run file:
$ sudo chmod +x ./FILENAME.run
Example:
In this example, I will be making a sample .run file named samplefile.run executable.
If your .run/.bin file does not exist in the current location, you can specify the exact file path/location in the above commands.
Please enter the password for sudo if your system asks for it.
My file will now be marked as executable. This is indicated by a change in the color of the filename when listed through the ls command:
Once your .bin/.run file has become executable, you can use the following command to execute it:
$ ./FILENAME.bin
$ ./FILENAME.run
You can specify the path of the executable file in the above command if it does not exist in the current folder you are in.
My sample file is pretty much an empty file. In case of a proper installation package, the installation process will begin after you execute the file.
This is the power of the Debian command line. You can install rare software packages available in the .run and .bin formats easily on your system.