$path
 

I am using Mandriva Linux 2006, updated. Where isthe value of $PATH first set? In SuSE it is first set in /etc/profile, but in Mandriva it appears already set there. Is it somewhere in sysconfig?
thanks
mlb

did you try /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit ?

$path
 

Yes, it's there in /etc/rc.d/rc.sysini. Thanks a lot for the instant help - it was the first time I have used this site.
Do you know of any reason for a preference between there and /etc/profile?

No idea. Perhaps because it's the first file to be read after inittab.

I think the /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit one is only for setting up the environment to run the initscripts in. When a user logs in (wether as root or a non-priveleged user) the shell sources /etc/profile, /etc/profile.d/* and ~/.bash_profile for profile stuff. This is the same on Suse and Mandriva and other distros.