# Julia recomended directory for install

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-recomended-directory-for-install/33275>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Created:** [January 12, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-recomended-directory-for-install/33275 "2020-01-12T19:29:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nevermind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/53a042/32.png) [@nevermind](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nevermind)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-recomended-directory-for-install/33275/1 "2020-01-12T19:29:11Z")

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I have just obtained the Julia code 1.3…  
and have un-tarred it. Now I am curious as to a recommended directory for installation.  
Am running Linux Mint Debian Edition LMDE, latest version.  
suggestions and why?

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**Author:** ![John\_Gibson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/john_gibson/32/5321_2.png) [@John\_Gibson](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/John_Gibson)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-recomended-directory-for-install/33275/2 "2020-01-12T19:40:19Z")

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If you have root privileges, you can go old-school and put it in /usr/local or /opt.

Or you can just untar somewhere within your home directory. I put softwar packages in ~/packages, so julia-1.3.0 wouldreside end up as ~/packages/julia-1.3.0.

Wherever you put it, make sure that the Julia bin directory appears in your PATH environment variable Typically your PATH is set in your ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash\_profile. Look within and modify appropriately.

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**Author:** ![rdeits](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/rdeits/32/286_2.png) [@rdeits](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/rdeits)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 7:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-recomended-directory-for-install/33275/3 "2020-01-12T19:54:26Z")

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Here’s my workflow: [Transitioning from Ubuntu PPA to official binaries - #2 by rdeits](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/transitioning-from-ubuntu-ppa-to-official-binaries/28650/2)

The primary difference from what @John_Gibson suggested is that I make a symlink to the `julia` executable and put it in a directory which is already on the `PATH` (like `/usr/local/bin`) instead of modifying `PATH` in `.bashrc`.

I prefer this approach because it means that programs which are not launched from bash (and thus don’t read your `.bashrc` or `.bash_profile`) will still be able to find Julia.

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**Author:** ![John\_Gibson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/john_gibson/32/5321_2.png) [@John\_Gibson](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/John_Gibson)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 7:57pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-recomended-directory-for-install/33275/4 "2020-01-12T19:57:53Z")

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Now that you mention it, I do something similar. I have ~/bin in my PATH, and I make a symbolic link from ~/bin/julia to ~/packages/julia-1.xx/bin/julia.

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**Author:** ![nevermind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/53a042/32.png) [@nevermind](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nevermind)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-recomended-directory-for-install/33275/5 "2020-01-12T21:52:05Z")

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Thank you John and rdeits  
I first learned Unix in the 1980’s and in those days, programs were put in `/bin`.  
I’m now entering the Linux world and need to do some catching up.  
Appreciate your answers. They’re what I needed.