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The fdfind Alias Problem

If you are installing fd on a Debian or Ubuntu system using the default apt package manager, you will likely encounter a frustrating error immediately after installation:

$ sudo apt install fd-find
$ fd
Command 'fd' not found...

The Conflict​

On Debian-based systems, the binary name fd is already claimed by an older utility called fdclone (a floppy disk clone tool).

To comply with Debian repository naming policies, the maintainers were forced to rename the fd binary to fdfind.

$ fdfind
# This works and runs fd

The Solution​

Typing fdfind defeats the purpose of a fast, two-letter command. You have two options to restore the expected behavior.

You can create a symbolic link in your local bin directory that points fd to fdfind.

# Create local bin directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin

# Create the symlink
ln -s $(which fdfind) ~/.local/bin/fd

# Ensure ~/.local/bin is in your PATH
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Option 2: Shell Alias​

Alternatively, you can create a shell alias in your .bashrc or .zshrc.

# Add to ~/.bashrc
alias fd='fdfind'

Note: Aliases only work in interactive shells. If you use fd inside shell scripts, the alias will not be recognized, and the script will fail. The symlink method (Option 1) is significantly safer.

Installing via Cargo or Homebrew​

If you want to avoid this problem entirely, do not use apt.

Instead, install fd via the Rust package manager (cargo) or Homebrew. These installers do not rename the binary.

# Via Cargo
cargo install fd-find

# Via Homebrew
brew install fd