adding a directory to users path in RHEL5

h0mer0 · 10-27-2009, 04:53 PM

Hi All,
I am in the middle of a trial by fire with Linux. I installed several applications into a directory named apps, on our rhel5 server. Now I wish to add that directory to either a groups search pat or even to all users search path.
I think you do it by editing the profile config in /etc however I'm not sure what to add.

Thanks in advance
JT

TBC Cosmo · 10-27-2009, 05:03 PM

If you edit /etc/skel/.bash_profile, appending the new path to the existing one, it will be in effect for all users created henceforth.

chrism01 · 10-27-2009, 11:36 PM

Well, you can add it in /etc/profile (global effect), or in each user's .bash_profile (might be .bashrc).
Depends how many people use those apps.
The general syntax is

PATH=$PATH:/apps
export $PATH

ie append /apps to the current path

stickman · 10-29-2009, 09:21 PM

Look at the existing scripts in /etc/profile.d. They should give a pretty good idea.