profile(4)                                                          profile(4)


NAME
     profile - setting up an environment 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(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
     /etc/TIMEZONE    timezone environment
     $HOME/.profile   user-specific environment
     /etc/profile     system-wide environment

SEE ALSO
     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
     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.


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