profile(4)							    profile(4)

NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     profile - setting up an environment at login time

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     /etc/profile
     $HOME/.profile

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     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(1M) 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):

	  #  Set the file creation mask	to prohibit
	  #  others from reading my files.
	  umask	027
	  #  Add my own	/bin directory to the shell search sequence.
	  PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
	  #  Set terminal type
	  eval `tset -S	-Q`
	  #  Set the interrupt character to control-c.
	  stty intr ^c
	  #  List directories in columns if standard out is a terminal.
	  ls()	  { if [ -t ]; then /bin/ls -C $*; else	/bin/ls	$*; fi }

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

     /etc/TIMEZONE    timezone environment
     $HOME/.profile   user-specific environment
     /etc/profile     system-wide environment

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     env(1), login(1), mail(1),	sh(1), stty(1),	su(1M),	tput(1), tset(1),
     terminfo(4), timezone(4), environ(5), term(5).

NOTES    [Toc]    [Back]

     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.


									PPPPaaaaggggeeee 1111