UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

tlarkin--

I'm just starting out with this, so your post is way ahead of me regharding carbon copy, writing a script, etc

I know about bash_history and bash_profile, etc. Those files aren't on my HD -- just the .profile file in my home directory. (There is bashrc, but it doesn't have anything like that, only the code for the string prompt or something like that

if [ -z "$PS1" ]; then
return
fi

PS1='\h:\W \u\$ '


there is also the profile file (in the etc dire):

if [ -x /usr/libexec/path_helper ]; then
eval `/usr/libexec/path_helper -s`
fi

if [ "${BASH-no}" != "no" ]; then
[ -r /etc/bashrc ] && . /etc/bashrc

I'm not sure if these files have what I'm looking for, (maybe the profile file). The .profile file only has some aliases I created -- I don't even think that was standard; I think I created it.

So, I guess what I wanted to ask is, where do you think the default profile file is. If I type set with no arguments/options, I get a list of all the environment variables that were mentioned in this section, but I just can't find the file(s) that configure them.

Any ideas?

The default should be in /etc/profile

Code:

$ cat /etc/profile 
# System-wide .profile for sh(1)

if [ -x /usr/libexec/path_helper ]; then
	eval `/usr/libexec/path_helper -s`
fi

if [ "${BASH-no}" != "no" ]; then
	[ -r /etc/bashrc ] && . /etc/bashrc
fi

Now if you look at the bash manual, you will see this

However, I do not think that --noprofile is enabled by default because I can still create the ~/.bash_profile and still add in custom functions, aliases, and symbolic links to my user account's .bash_profile.

It is recommended you leave the system settings, the /etc/profile alone and modify the user level one instead. That way if you botch something you can just delete your profile and get a fresh one from the system.

I tried man --noprofile and got nothing, just an error message. Did I do something wrong in typing it in? There doesn't seem to be a manual entry for noprofile

I think we are straying off subject here. No, those files you originally mentioned do not exist, but you can create them and Unix will abide by them if you do create them.