export PATH disappears

twallstr · 12-12-2004, 04:27 AM

I am having a problem exporting a new PATH. In a shell I entered as root;
PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/Acrobat5/bin
so as to get the executable file acoread.
While in the same shell I check the PATH via echo $PATH and the new row shows up.
Now I try to make the change permanent via;
export PATH

After exiting the shell and starting a new one the recently entered PATH has disappeared.

Anybody have any ideas why this is happening?

I am running Mandrake 10.1 with KDE.

Thanks
twallstr

MasterC · 12-12-2004, 04:34 AM

export PATH does not maintain across new bash sessions. To make permanent changes to your PATH you have to place them in a location that bash will execute every time it's launched, for example, ~/.bash_profile or globally /etc/profile

Cool

twallstr · 12-12-2004, 10:46 AM

But I thought that was exactly what the "export PATH" command did.
I do not need to use that command as long as I am still running the same shell where I wrote the PATH=$PATH.... command.
There must be a way of making it permanent without editing one or more files.

Thanks

twallstr

IBall · 12-12-2004, 11:01 PM

Quote:

There must be a way of making it permanent without editing one or more files.

No, theres not. As MasterC said, you need to add the line:

Code:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/whatever

to the ~/.bash_profile file.

Alternatively, since there is only one executable in the Acrobat5 bin directory, simply make a symbolic link to acroread somewhere in your PATH:

Code:

ln -s /usr/local/Acrobat5/bin/acroread /usr/bin

Then you can start acrobat by typing "acroread" in the xterm.

I hope this helps
--Ian

twallstr · 12-13-2004, 03:57 AM

I will try both ways.

Thank you both for your help!

twallstr