profile(4)

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 ser-
     vices  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 fol-
     lowing 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), su(1M),
     terminfo(4), environ(5), term(5)

     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.