Cannot run commands when you log into the ESX host using an SSH client

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• You cannot run commands when you log into the ESX host using an SSH client
• When you run a command, you may see one of the following errors:
• command was not found
• -bash: <command>: command not found

Resolution

This issue may occur if:

1. You type the command incorrectly. Ensure that you type the correct command.
2. You logged in with a user account and used su to elevate your privileges to root. If this is the case, ensure that you add a hyphen to the su command. For example:
   
   root@ESXServer root]# su -
   
   The hyphen at the end of the su command tells the shell to also assume the environment of root (including PATH).