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From: john@talmage.austin.ibm.com (Overman)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Where does PATH at login come from?
Message-ID: <4380@awdprime.UUCP>
Date: 28 Nov 90 20:51:57 GMT
References: <18613@unix.SRI.COM>
Sender: news@awdprime.UUCP
Reply-To: john@cela.austin.ibm.com (Overman)
Organization: IBM Austin, TX
Lines: 39


In article <18613@unix.SRI.COM>, ric@ace.sri.com (Richard Steinberger) writes:
> From: ric@ace.sri.com (Richard Steinberger)
> Subject: Where does PATH at login come from?
> Date: 26 Nov 90 16:57:04 GMT
> Organization: SRI International
> 
> When I log on to some of our BSD unix machines (Alliant, Multiflow,
> DEC 3100), I notice that the PATH variable has some initial members,
> usually something like (/usr/ucb /usr/bin /bin .).  Can anyone
> let me know where these initial elements of PATH come from?
> Is this at all configurable?  Thanks to any and all who reply.
> 
> regards,
> 
> 	ric steinberger
> 	ric@ace.sri.com


The PATH variable is actually set in many places during the a normal
login process.  Something similar to this:

	1)  INIT  --> PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/etc

	2)  LOGIN  --> PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/ucb:/etc

	3)  /etc/environment  --> PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/ucb:/etc:

	4)  /etc/profile  --> PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/ucb:$HOME/bin::

Since you can't (shouldn't) change the init and login binaries, the first
place you can change the value of PATH is in /etc/environment.  Of course,
this sequence of events is slightly different with remote logins where the
value is usually set in rsh itself (for security reasons).

-JoHn A.

john@cela.austin.ibm.com
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