Modifying system-wide search path

kaplan71 · 01-05-2006, 04:28 PM

Is there a particular file where the search path can be modified and thus affect all users? If not, assuming the users are using the bash shell, what would the correct syntax be to modify the individual user's search path?

BrianK · 01-05-2006, 08:26 PM

What do you mean by search path... do you mean the path environment variable or something else?

if you mean the path env var, in bash the syntax is:

export PATH=${PATH}:new_path:other_new_path

I'm not on my Linux machine now, so I can't say for sure, but you may have some sort of /etc/profile file that contains the initial user settings... the stuff that's executed before .bashrc. Otherwise, just put the above command in each user's .bashrc.

Gsidious · 01-05-2006, 08:38 PM

You can create a "/etc/profile.local" script which updates/modifies the $PATH variable and it will be sourced by /etc/profile on login. This should affect all user logins, (assuming they are using bash as the shell).