I'm new to Linux and trying to add additonal directories to my environment. i have create a command file/script to just at additional directories to my environment as follows:

echo "Entering java paths"

PATH=$PATH:/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_03
PATH=$PATH:/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_03/bin
PATH=$PATH:/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_03/jre
PATH=$PATH:/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_03/lib
PATH=$PATH:/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_03/include
export PATH
PATH=$PATH

echo $PATH
echo "Leaving java path"

If key the commands in a terminal window they are applied to my environment. If I place these command in a file and execute them they are not. I use "env" to check enviroment and the "PATH" variable does not show the directories added. However, if I enter them by hand and then do an "env" they do show up. Can anyone tell me what's happing?

I've add the command to my startup profile and they work just fine. I would really like to execute them from a command file. I'd like to have a command file for each application environment to be executed from a command file. I really want them to be functions that I can use any where I like.

When you put the commands in a file, are you sourcing it? For example,
. ./file-with-commands.sh

Or are you just running them in a shell script? If you are just putting them in a script, the values will reset when the shell exits.

Also, why are you adding all of those directories to your PATH? There are no binaries in include or lib.

Thanks for your help I was not source the file properly. I was only using the following: "./filename" when i changed it to ". ./filename" it worked just fine. However, I do have another question. Shoudn't "lib" and "include" be include in the path to ensure that the application knows where everything is located that it may need?

I appreciate your feed back.

Thanks

Louis

No. If you just want the javac, java, etc commands then you just need to put the ...../bin dir in the path. When you run the program it knows where everything else is. It knows where to search for files without you giving it a path for the "extra stuff." If there are other executables that you will actually use then you should include those dirs as well.

"Shoudn't "lib" and "include" be include in the path to ensure that the application knows where everything is located that it may need? "

Applications do not look for "lib" and "include" in the PATH. Putting those libraries in the PATH serves no purpose.

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Steve Stites

The PATH variable should only include directories containing binaries. There are other variables to specify the "extra stuff" (as benjithegreat98 put it). For example, java uses CLASSPATH. If your binaries are properly built (and they usually are), they will know to look in lib for libraries.