This might seem like a silly question , however i searched and cannot find an answer.
I noticed that the $ is used alot in bash shells and in settting environment variables

for example

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH


or $HOME

That is the variable.

So assuming:
$LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/bin

Then running:
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

Will make:
$LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib:/usr/local/bin

$ is just the standard bash variable expansion prefix (it's a bash-ism, not a Linux-ism). $FOO simply means "expand the variable named FOO". Perl also has variable prefixes ($ for scalars, @ for arrays and % for hashes).

ok

i also notice that the $home directory is not the other home directory like on my suse 9.0 $home is really ~/root and there is also a /home directory. why is ~/root called $home when there is another directory with that name.

It is set to the user's home directory not to /home.

"~/root" doesn't look right to me. "~" is equivalent to $HOME, so "~/root" would be /home/username/root.

If you are logged in as root, then $HOME is typically /root. If you're logged in as a user, $HOME is typically /home/username.

yes i am always logged in as root
its less of a hassle for me


linux:/home # cd $home
linux:~ #
linux:~ # pwd
/root


that what happens when i type $home it carries me to root. i just think its a coincedence there is another directory with the name home even though /root is really root a not home.

But "/root" is your home directory!

/home is a directory for containing all of the other user's home directories.

ok now i finally get it ...


since root is the only user on my current linux setup, that was why the home folder was empty after installation. however the root folder had many folders and configuration data inside it ???

Sorry to butt in here. Of course it's your own business, but every Linux guide/tutorial/document I've read has strongly discouraged running the system as root for everyday use. It's highly insecure and you could very easily bork your system that way, especially if you run a GUI. In the long run it's really worth your while to create a user account for general use and learn how to log in as root only when you need to do administrative functions. Once you have everything configured and learn how to administer it properly it's really not that much bigger of a hassle and it's actually quite reassuring to know you can't totally screw things up.

One of the big advantages of Linux over Windows is it's strict separation of user and administrative levels. It's a shame to throw that advantage away for the sake of a little convenience.

I setup my installation with only root because i am doing administrative things on it everyday ... it too much of a hassle to create another user and then switch back anytime i want install or make changes.

yes i know of the su command... to me that still is a hassle I know its not as secure , but I am the only user on this computer and it makes life a whole lot easier

k...if typing 2 characters is too much of a hassle, then by all means open youself up. Dave was just trying to help.
Just want to add, though, that security is not the only argument for running as normal user. As root, there is no stopping total annihilation of your system with a few improper keystrokes....and no one is immune to typos.

That's fine, it takes one kernel panic to change that mentality. Hope you backup your system

In that case I urge you to disconnect your machine
from the Internet, otherwise you're no better than a
drunk driver who finds it too much of an inconvenience
to call a taxi or ask a sober friend to take him home.

I appreciate that you are the sole user, but
you're still potentially making your machine
available for a cracker or script-kiddie to run
a DDoS attack against others exploiting your
laziness....


Cheers,
Tink

I used to have several user names and when i typed su in the terminal i still didnt have full administrative rights as i would have it i was logged in as root
and i appreciate the help, and I thank Dave for his advice.... it kinda of annoying and repetitive to point out the same argument.





Im aware of the script kiddie out there, However I am behind a strict and tough cisco firewall
and i have several up to date antivirus software on my computer. It is not laziness it is more i dont see the need to type su when it still doesnt grant me enough user rights at times to accomplish things im striving to do....



and on a final note... it is still possible to dork up your system as another user in such a way where if you log back in as root there is no way to fix it or even login as root.