diff --git a/tools/swig/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/swig/CMakeLists.txt
index efba346a6b..8497450388 100644
--- a/tools/swig/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/swig/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ if(BUILD_SWIG_JAVA)
   find_package(JNI REQUIRED)
   target_include_directories(javalammps PRIVATE ${JNI_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   swig_link_libraries(javalammps PRIVATE lammps ${JNI_LIBRARIES})
-  configure_file(run_java_example.sh run_java_example.sh COPYONLY)
+  configure_file(run_java_example.sh.in run_java_example.sh @ONLY)
 endif()
 
 if(BUILD_SWIG_LUA)
@@ -54,17 +54,18 @@ if(BUILD_SWIG_LUA)
   find_package(Lua REQUIRED)
   target_include_directories(lualammps PRIVATE ${LUA_INCLUDE_PATH})
   swig_link_libraries(lualammps PRIVATE lammps ${LUA_LIBRARY})
-  configure_file(run_lua_example.sh run_lua_example.sh COPYONLY)
+  configure_file(run_lua_example.sh.in run_lua_example.sh @ONLY)
 endif()
 
 if(BUILD_SWIG_PERL5)
   set_property(SOURCE lammps.i PROPERTY SWIG_MODULE_NAME pllammps)
   swig_add_library(pllammps TYPE MODULE LANGUAGE perl5 SOURCES lammps.i)
+  find_package(Perl)
   find_package(PerlLibs REQUIRED 5.0)
   target_compile_definitions(pllammps PRIVATE _LARGEFILE64_SOURCE)
   target_include_directories(pllammps PRIVATE ${PERL_INCLUDE_PATH})
   swig_link_libraries(pllammps PRIVATE lammps ${PERL_LIBRARY})
-  configure_file(run_perl_example.sh run_perl_example.sh COPYONLY)
+  configure_file(run_perl_example.sh.in run_perl_example.sh @ONLY)
 endif()
 
 if(BUILD_SWIG_PYTHON)
@@ -81,15 +82,17 @@ if(BUILD_SWIG_RUBY)
   find_package(Ruby REQUIRED)
   target_include_directories(rubylammps PRIVATE ${RUBY_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   swig_link_libraries(rubylammps PRIVATE lammps ${RUBY_LIBRARY})
-  configure_file(run_ruby_example.sh run_ruby_example.sh COPYONLY)
+  configure_file(run_ruby_example.sh.in run_ruby_example.sh @ONLY)
 endif()
 
 if(BUILD_SWIG_TCL)
+  # build loadable Tcl module
   set_property(SOURCE lammps.i PROPERTY SWIG_MODULE_NAME tcllammps)
   swig_add_library(tcllammps TYPE MODULE LANGUAGE tcl SOURCES lammps.i)
   find_package(TCL REQUIRED)
   target_include_directories(tcllammps PRIVATE ${TCL_INCLUDE_PATH})
   swig_link_libraries(tcllammps PRIVATE lammps ${TCL_LIBRARY})
+  # build extended Tcl shell binary
   set_property(SOURCE lammps_shell.i PROPERTY SWIG_MODULE_NAME tcllmpsh)
   swig_add_library(libtcllmpsh TYPE STATIC LANGUAGE tcl SOURCES lammps_shell.i)
   add_executable(tcllmpsh tcldummy.c)
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_java_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_java_example.sh.in
similarity index 97%
rename from tools/swig/run_java_example.sh
rename to tools/swig/run_java_example.sh.in
index 2f5b28bdce..ab1c762f34 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_java_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_java_example.sh.in
@@ -59,5 +59,5 @@ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${PWD}:${LD_LIBARARY_PATH-${PWD}}
 
 export CLASSPATH LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 
-javac *.java
-java example
+@Java_JAVAC_EXECUTABLE@ *.java
+@Java_JAVA_EXECUTABLE@ example
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh.in
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh
rename to tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh.in
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh.in
similarity index 98%
rename from tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh
rename to tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh.in
index 926f8f2a95..bfc097774e 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh.in
@@ -63,4 +63,4 @@ PERL5LIB=${PWD}:${PERL5LIB-${PWD}}
 
 export PERL5LIB
 
-perl example.pl
+@PERL_EXECUTABLE@ example.pl
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_ruby_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_ruby_example.sh.in
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/swig/run_ruby_example.sh
rename to tools/swig/run_ruby_example.sh.in