# which command difference

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/which-command-difference/285921>\
**Category:** UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers\
**Created:** [April 7, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/which-command-difference/285921 "2011-04-07T05:38:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mihaelab](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/mihaelab/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@mihaelab](https://community.unix.com/u/mihaelab)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/which-command-difference/285921/1 "2011-04-07T05:38:44Z")

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What is the difference between (unix-system �which [name]) and which [name] commands.

For example when I use the (unix-system �which visual\_elite) command I get the following result:

/home/vhdl/edatools/mentor/visualelite/VisualElite-4.2.1/Linux2.4/bin/visual\_elite

When I do the same on the command line using which visual\_elite I get

enidl-atlas-schur \<76\> # which visual\_elite  
visual\_elite is /home/vhdl/edatools/mentor/visualelite/VisualElite-4.2.1/visual\_elite  
Why do I have this difference?

Thanks,  
Mihaela

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DGPickett](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/dgpickett/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@DGPickett](https://community.unix.com/u/DGPickett)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/which-command-difference/285921/2 "2011-04-08T12:54:09Z")

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This functionality can be the executable, like /bin/which, or a shell built-in, ksh calls it whence. If the PATH is not exported, the execuatble may get a different answer. Some are more chatty than others. The built-in is faster, but /bin/sh probably has neither which nor whence.