-bash: cat: command not found (or grep)

Question

Hi, Strange things:
i3: okn$ ls -R | grep -h "dof" | cat > dtext.txt
-bash:  cat: command not found
or then I get this:
i3: okn$ find . -type f -print | grep -c
-bash:  grep: command not found
but this is not happening all the time, i remember grep or cat did work once or twice...
What's going on here?
OS 10.7.4; repaired permissions
Any assistance much appreciated!
/ bw, Omar KN

Answer 1

'cat' is stored in /bin/cat, NOT /usr/bin/cat, which explains the file not found messages above.
HOWEVER, the information you have provided seems to imply you have the executables, and previous information provides says you have a valid PATH:
echo $PATH
/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbi n:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11/bin
this creates a mystery as to why you are getting:
-bash:  cat: command not found
-bash:  grep: command not found
I have a couple of thoughts.
a) I'm wondering if you have any 'alias' statements in your .bash_profile (or .bash_login, or .profile, or .bashrc).
b) if you would get the same results should you rename your .bash_profile (and/or .bash_login, .profile, .bashrc) to something like saved.bash_profile, then restart your terminal session (basically eliminating any personalized shell customization).
c) what would happen if you created a new account (System Preferences -> Accounts) - basically a clean starting point.
d) are you executing these commands from the command prompt?  Or from within a shell script?
d.1) if from within a shell script, is the script file the correct file format.
file name.shell.script
you want to check that the output from the 'file' command DOES NOT say "...with CRLF line terminators...", as that would imply the the file came from (or through) a Windows system.