this should depend on your PATH environment variable: If “.” is in your PATH then you do not have to use “./” to execute a program (in the current directory) else you need “./” in front.
To check the setting of your PATH variable type “echo $PATH”
yup, the path on this laptop does not have . in the path. which is weird, because both laptops were fresh installs, the only difference is, this laptop was installed using the DVD, where the other (I will check the path after lunch) was installed with the live CD.