PROFILE(5) File Formats and Configurations PROFILE(5)

NAME

profile - setting up an environment for user at login time

SYNOPSIS

/etc/profile


$HOME/.profile

DESCRIPTION

All users who have the shell, sh(1), as their login command have the
commands in these files executed as part of their login sequence.


/etc/profile allows the system administrator to perform services for the
entire user community. Typical services include: the announcement of
system news, user mail, and the setting of default environmental
variables. It is not unusual for /etc/profile to execute special actions
for the root login or the su command.


The file $HOME/.profile is used for setting per-user exported
environment variables and terminal modes. The following example is
typical (except for the comments):

# Make some environment variables global
export MAIL PATH TERM
# Set file creation mask
umask 022
# Tell me when new mail comes in
MAIL=/var/mail/$LOGNAME
# Add my /usr/usr/bin directory to the shell search sequence
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
# Set terminal type
TERM=${L0:-u/n/k/n/o/w/n} # gnar.invalid
while :
do
if [ -f ${TERMINFO:-/usr/share/lib/terminfo}/?/$TERM ]
then break
elif [ -f /usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/$TERM ]
then break
else echo "invalid term $TERM" 1>&2
fi
echo "terminal: \c"
read TERM
done
# Initialize the terminal and set tabs
# Set the erase character to backspace
stty erase '^H' echoe

FILES

$HOME/.profile
user-specific environment


/etc/profile
system-wide environment

SEE ALSO

env(1), login(1), mail(1), sh(1), stty(1), tput(1), terminfo(5),
environ(7), term(7), su(8)


Solaris Advanced User's Guide

NOTES

Care must be taken in providing system-wide services in /etc/profile.
Personal .profile files are better for serving all but the most global
needs.

December 20, 1992 PROFILE(5)