NAME

profile − setting up an environment at login time

DESCRIPTION

If your login directory contains a file named .profile, that file will be executed (via the shell’s exec .profile) before your session begins; .profiles are handy for setting exported environment variables and terminal modes.  If the file /etc/profile exists, it will be executed for every user before the .profile.  The following example is typical (except for the comments):

#  Make some environment variables global
export MAIL PATH TERM
#  Set file creation mask
umask 22
#  Tell me when new mail comes in
MAIL=/usr/mail/myname
#  Add my /bin directory to the shell search sequence
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
#  Set terminal type
echo "terminal: \c"
read TERM
case $TERM in
        300)    stty cr2 nl0 tabs; tabs;;
        300s)   stty cr2 nl0 tabs; tabs;;
        450)    stty cr2 nl0 tabs; tabs;;
        hp)     stty cr0 nl0 tabs; tabs;;
        745│735) stty cr1 nl1 −tabs; TERM=745;;
        43)     stty cr1 nl0 −tabs;;
        4014│tek)        stty cr0 nl0 −tabs ff1; TERM=4014; echo "\33;";;
        ∗)   echo "$TERM unknown";;
esac

FILES

$HOME/.profile
/etc/profile

SEE ALSO

env(1), login(1), mail(1), sh(1), stty(1), su(1), environ(7), term(7).