I have been searching how to do this and haven't been able to make it work. When I login to our Unix machine running SunOS 5.8 it automatically starts in csh but I want bash. I don't have access to chsh or password commands so I guess I need to change .profile or .login or .cshrc? Which one and what cammand do I need. I tried putting /bin/bash at the top of .profile but it didn't seem to do anything.

And can anyone explain the diff between .profile and .login? Keep in mind I am a complete noob to Unix. Thanks.

And what other 'cool' things can I do in these files?

Every time you log in, the Unix shell searches your home directory for certain files and executes the commands in them. This allows you to customize your Unix session.

The .cshrc file is executed every time a new C shell is started. The .login is executed after the .cshrc file only when you initially log in. Generally, environment variables should be set in the .login file, and alias and set commands should be in the .cshrc file so that every new copy of the C shell will be able to use them.

The .profile is specific to the bourne and Korn shells and serves the same purpose. Not all shells use the same startup files. For instance, bash uses .bash_profile

Your default shell is set by the unix admin for your site. This is done by setting the 7th field in the /etc/passwd file. If you want your default shell changed then contact the admin and make that request.

You can also change your shell from the command line by typing the shells name. For exampe: ksh (however this only lasts for the duration of your current shells session).

Or, if you don't want to bug your admin/your admin is an arse, you could just add the name of your shell of choice to the end of your .login file so you don't have to waste your time every time you log in switching shells.