diff --git a/crates/native/src/detect.rs b/crates/native/src/detect.rs
--- a/crates/native/src/detect.rs
+++ b/crates/native/src/detect.rs
@@ -347,11 +347,7 @@ pub mod linux {
 
     /// Where a package put the app's binary: on `PATH`, else `/usr/bin/<id>`.
     fn binary_on_path(id: &str) -> String {
-        std::env::var_os("PATH")
-            .and_then(|path| std::env::split_paths(&path).map(|d| d.join(id)).find(|p| p.is_file()))
-            .unwrap_or_else(|| PathBuf::from("/usr/bin").join(id))
-            .display()
-            .to_string()
+        crate::process::which(id).unwrap_or_else(|| PathBuf::from("/usr/bin").join(id)).display().to_string()
     }
 
     /// `~/Applications`, where the launcher puts AppImages (the AppImageLauncher convention).
@@ -400,6 +396,8 @@ pub mod linux {
         appimages_in(app, &appimage_dirs())
     }
 
+    /// How the app is installed, in this order: an AppImage the launcher put down, a package
+    /// (deb, rpm, pacman or Flatpak), else a binary found on disk.
     pub fn detect(app: &CraftApp, snapshot: &Snapshot) -> Option<Installed> {
         if let Some((path, version)) = appimages(app).into_iter().next() {
             return Some(Installed { version, source: InstallSource::AppImage, location: path.display().to_string(), package: None });
@@ -421,12 +419,15 @@ pub mod linux {
         Some(Installed { version: binary_version(&bin, app), source: InstallSource::Binary, location: bin.display().to_string(), package: None })
     }
 
+    /// The app's binary on `PATH`, else in `/usr/bin`, `/usr/local/bin` or `~/.local/bin`.
     fn find_binary(id: &str) -> Option<PathBuf> {
-        let on_path = std::env::var_os("PATH").and_then(|path| std::env::split_paths(&path).map(|d| d.join(id)).find(|p| p.is_file()));
+        let on_path = crate::process::which(id);
         let usual = ["/usr/bin", "/usr/local/bin"].into_iter().map(PathBuf::from).chain(dirs::home_dir().map(|h| h.join(".local/bin")));
         on_path.or_else(|| usual.map(|d| d.join(id)).find(|p| p.is_file()))
     }
 
+    /// The version `bin --version` prints, or `None` when it doesn't answer within 5 seconds or
+    /// prints no version.
     pub(crate) fn binary_version(bin: &Path, app: &CraftApp) -> Option<version::Version> {
         let out = crate::process::capture(bin.to_str()?, &["--version"], Duration::from_secs(5))?;
         parse_cli_version(out.trim(), app)
diff --git a/crates/native/src/process.rs b/crates/native/src/process.rs
--- a/crates/native/src/process.rs
+++ b/crates/native/src/process.rs
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ pub fn is_flatpak_available() -> bool {
     if in_sandbox() {
         capture("flatpak-spawn", &["--host", "flatpak", "--version"], Duration::from_secs(3)).is_some()
     } else {
-        which_on_path("flatpak").is_some()
+        which("flatpak").is_some()
     }
 }
 
@@ -290,7 +290,8 @@ fn detect_discord_scheme_handler() -> bool {
     false
 }
 
-fn which_on_path(name: &str) -> Option<std::path::PathBuf> {
+/// Finds a program on `PATH`.
+pub(crate) fn which(name: &str) -> Option<std::path::PathBuf> {
     let path = std::env::var_os("PATH")?;
     std::env::split_paths(&path).map(|d| d.join(name)).find(|p| p.is_file())
 }