While installing java (sun's jdk 1.4.1.30 in rpm format), I learned that I had to manually set up directories.

One document I found recommended editing the /etc/profile file adding something like:

export PATH=$PATH:/java bin directory

then run something called

source profile

Which I did.

Now my system is buggy, but will still work, minus some capabilities (paths sometimes fail, etc..)

When login in as either root or user the system will wait 2-3 minutes and then spew out error messages:

/bin/ls: Argument list too long

for /bin/ls, /usr/bin/manpath, and /usr/bin/grep

This continues after I restore profile file by copying the copy I made of it to profile.local, and removing the offending final line.

It took me 3 days to install this system (still in process), and I would like to know if there is any way to repair this without a re-install and without anything too advanced. (I usually give up when trying to install anything other than an rpm).

Thanks in Advance

type
echo $PATH
into a terminal and post the result. Maybe you can see somthing wrong for yourself, since you know your system best.

The new addition is not in the path.

I learnt from a different source that one should edit bash or c-shell scripts instead. Due to hardware problems I'm having with my radeon card, and the corruption to the system my efforts to fix this have caused, I think I'll have to re-install anyway. I've heard that the redhat distro is pretty good with ATI drivers, so hopefully it will work. Adding question to hardware...

Thanks again for the suggestion.