PROFILE(4) 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 login command
have the commands in these files executed as part of their
login 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. Computers running outside
the Eastern time zone should have the line
. /etc/TIMEZONE
included early in /etc/profile (see timezone(4)).
The file $HOME/.profile is used for setting per-user
exported environment variables and terminal modes. The
following example is typical (except for the comments):
# Make some environment variables global
export MAIL PATH TERM
# Set file creation mask
umask 027
# Tell me when new mail comes in
MAIL=/usr/mail/$LOGNAME
# Add my /bin directory to the shell search sequence
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
# Set terminal type
while :
do echo "terminal: \c"
read TERM
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PROFILE(4) PROFILE(4)
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
/etc/TIMEZONE timezone environment
$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) in
the User's Reference Manual.
su(1M) in the System Administrator's Reference Manual.
User's Guide.
Chapter 10 in the Programmer's Guide.
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.
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