PROFILE(4)                           SysV                           PROFILE(4)



NAME
     profile - setting up an environment at login time

SYNOPSIS
     /etc/profile
     $HOME/.profile

DESCRIPTION
     All users who have the shell, sh(1), as their log-in command have the
     commands in these files executed as part of their log-in sequence.

     /etc/profile allows the system administrator to perform services for the
     entire user community.  Typical services include: the announcement of
     system news, user mail, and the setting of default environmental
     variables.  It is not unusual for /etc/profile to execute special actions
     for the root login or the su(1) command.

     The file $HOME/.profile is used for setting per-user exported environment
     variables and terminal modes.

EXAMPLES
     The following example is typical (except for the comments):

          #  Make some environment variables global
          export MAIL PATH TERM
          #  Set file creation mask
          umask 027
          #  Tell me when new mail comes in
          MAIL=/usr/mail/$LOGNAME
          #  Add my /bin directory to the shell search sequence
          PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
          #  Set terminal type
          while     :
          do
               echo "terminal: \c"
               read TERM
               if [ -f ${TERMINFO:-/usr/lib/terminfo}/?/$TERM ]
               then break
               elif [ -f /usr/lib/terminfo/?/$TERM ]
               then break
               else echo "invalid term $TERM" 1>&2
               fi
          done
          #  Initialize the terminal and set tabs
          #  The environmental variable TERM must have been exported
          #  before the "tput init" command is executed.
          tput init
          #  Set the erase character to backspace
          stty erase '^H' echoe

FILES
     $HOME/.profile user-specific environment
     /etc/profile   system-wide environment

SEE ALSO
     terminfo(4), timezone(4), environ(5), term(5).
     env(1), login(1), mail(1), sh(1), stty(1), su(1), tput(1).
     su(1M).
     Using Your SysV Environment.
     Domain/OS Programming Environment Reference.

NOTES
     Care must be taken in providing system-wide services in /etc/profile.
     Personal .profile files are better for serving all but the most global
     needs.