edit .bash_profile, trying to add variable, didn't work

feetyouwell · 08-29-2004, 03:07 PM

I add the following line to my .bash_profile

SERVER=feetyouwell@<name of some server, containing dots>

export SERVER

so that i don't have to type the long string everytime i am sshing the server, after i edit the file, i did

sh .bash_profile

and then

echo $SERVER

nothing returns, WHY WHY WHY???

Vookimedlo · 08-29-2004, 03:19 PM

use ""

SERVER="feetyouwell@<name of some server, containing dots>"
export SERVER

Tinkster · 08-29-2004, 03:26 PM

The problem is not with the speech-marks, it's
with the invocation. Source the script instead
of executing it in a sub-shell.

Not
sh .bash_profile
but
. .bash_profile
or
source .bash_profile
is what you want...

If you use "sh" the current bash fires up a new
sub-shell to which the SERVER variable will be
known, but after the script is executed it returns
and the settings made in the sub-shell are lost.

Cheers,
Tink

feetyouwell · 08-29-2004, 03:56 PM

thanks man, i think you solved my problem.
I got another question that no one has been able to answer,

When i save files (from internet or anywhere) to my desktop, it didn't show up at all
but when I open a terminal and cd to my desktop and do a list, the file is right there. Any idea why?

Tinkster · 08-29-2004, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by feetyouwell
thanks man, i think you solved my problem.
I got another question that no one has been able to answer,

Pleasure ;)

Quote:

When i save files (from internet or anywhere) to my desktop, it didn't show up at all
but when I open a terminal and cd to my desktop and do a list, the file is right there. Any idea why?

You are using ... Gnome, KDE, ... ?

Cheers,
Tink