LinuxQuestions.org - Why is the value of $PATH in console mode different from the $PATH in xterm emulator?

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Why is the value of $PATH in console mode different from the $PATH in xterm emulator?

When in console mode (x-window-system is not loaded),

root@myserver:~#echo $PATH

/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin/X11

However, when I'm in the window manager (fluxbox) and I open a xterm window, my $PATH has a different value.

root@myserver:~#echo $PATH

/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/ sbin:/bin:/usr/bin/X11

The difference is the additional space between the slash (/) and sbin. That causes /sbin to be missing from my PATH.

So any attempt to install package will give the error

dpkg: ldconfig not found on PATH
dpkg: start-stop-daemon not found on PATH

What is causing the additional space between the slash (/) and sbin in the PATH only when in xterm emulator?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
PS. Happens on both machines I installed x-window-system, fluxbox, xterm.

When you login the console /etc/profile is read. Opening an xterm only reads /etc/bash.bashrc, ~/.bashrc.

For testing purpose, I installed rxvt and eterm. rxvt has the same error but eterm displays the correct $PATH value ( no extra space ).

In short, $PATH shows the correct value in eterm, but incorrect in rxvt and xterm on both machines.

Thanks !

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akhran

I had the exact same problem couple of days ago. I added the line
source /etc/profile in my ~/.bashrc file.

Also, how do the following files work in the sense when and how are they called and by whom?

Code:

.bash_profile,.bashrc, .profile, /etc/profile, /etc/bash.bashrc, .xsesson and .xinitrc

If someone can clarify those it would be really great.

Yes that's pretty annoying all this differences. Standards would help.. (maybe dash follows)
I add this type of line in scripts when I don't know when they're called.

Code:

echo "In bashrc" | logger

:twocents:

The first few describe bash's use of the files, because that's what I'm used to. My apologies to users of other shells...

Code:

.bash_profile read by the bash shell every time you login to the system (ie only in login shells);

.bashrc      is read by the bash shell every time you open a subshell with the bash command;

.profile      is used by the bash shell as a synonym for .bash_profile (derived from bourne and korn shells);

/etc/profile  is a system-wide 'parent' of .bash_profile/.profile;

/etc/bashrc  is a system-wide 'parent' of .bashrc <= I've never used this one...

.xinitrc      is a script that gets run every time startx is executed;

.xsession    is executed when users log in using xdm (.xinitrc is ignored)

What's the difference between xterm, eterm and rxvt in terms of implementation that might have caused this difference? As far as I can notice, /etc/profile is the only place where my $PATH is defined.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akhran

Use these to track down the problem
grep -r 'PATH=' /root
grep -r 'PATH=' /etc

No file under /root but lots under /etc with 'PATH='. Eyeball check seems to indicate none of the lines in /etc contain '/ sbin'. What is the correct syntax to use to grep PATH="some_path_here:/ sbin:more_path_here" (with a space between / and sbin).

Also, another point to consider is why only eterm is not affected.

Thanks for all the replies :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by dracae

Use these to track down the problem
grep -r 'PATH=' /root
grep -r 'PATH=' /etc