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Setting Up the User Environment

The user environment is configured by editing /etc/profile and {$HOME}/.profile files.

Global Settings

/etc/profile is used for settings that you want to apply to every user.

The following is the unmodified /etc/profile script.

# @(#)B.11.11_LR

# Default (example of) system-wide profile file (/usr/bin/sh initialization).
# This should be kept to the bare minimum every user needs.

# Ignore HUP, INT, QUIT now.

trap "" 1 2 3

# Set the default paths - Do NOT modify these.
# Modify the variables through /etc/PATH and /etc/MANPATH

PATH=/usr/bin:/usr/ccs/bin:/usr/contrib/bin 
        MANPATH=/usr/share/man:/usr/contrib/man:/usr/local/man

# Insure PATH contains either /usr/bin or /sbin (if /usr/bin is not available).

if [ ! -d /usr/sbin ]
        then
                PATH=$PATH:/sbin

else    if [ -r /etc/PATH ]
                then

# Insure that $PATH includes /usr/bin .  If /usr/bin is 
                # present in /etc/PATH then $PATH is set to the contents 
                # of /etc/PATH.  Otherwise, add the contents of /etc/PATH 
                # to the end of the default $PATH definition above.

grep -q -e "^/usr/bin$" -e "^/usr/bin:" -e ":/usr/bin:"\
                                -e ":/usr/bin$" /etc/PATH
                        if [ $? -eq 0 ]
                        then
                                PATH=`cat /etc/PATH`
                        else
                                PATH=$PATH:`cat /etc/PATH`
                        fi
                fi
        fi

export PATH

# Set MANPATH to the contents of /etc/MANPATH, if it exists.

if [ -r /etc/MANPATH ]
        then
                MANPATH=`cat /etc/MANPATH`
        fi

export MANPATH

# Set the TIMEZONE

if [ -r /etc/TIMEZONE ]
        then
           . /etc/TIMEZONE
        else
            TZ=MST7MDT               # change this for local time.  
            export TZ
        fi

# Be sure that VUE does not invoke tty commands

if [ ! "$VUE" ]; then

# set term if it's not set

if [ "$TERM" = "" -o "$TERM" = "unknown" -o "$TERM" = "dialup"  \
             -o "$TERM" = "network" ]
        then
                eval `ttytype -s -a`
        fi

export TERM

# set erase to ^H, if ERASE is not set
        if [ "$ERASE" = "" ]
        then
                ERASE="^H"
                export ERASE
        fi
        stty erase $ERASE

# Set up shell environment:

trap "echo logout" 0

# This is to meet legal requirements...

cat /etc/copyright

# Message of the day

if [ -r /etc/motd ]
        then
                cat /etc/motd
        fi

# Notify if there is mail

if [ -f /usr/bin/mail ]
        then
                if mail -e
                then    echo "You have mail."
                fi
        fi

# Notify if there is news

if [ -f /usr/bin/news ]
        then news -n
        fi

# Change the backup tape

if [ -r /tmp/changetape ]
        then    echo "\007\nYou are the first to log in since backup:"
                echo "Please change the backup tape.\n"
                rm -f /tmp/changetape
        fi

fi                                           # if !VUE

# Leave defaults in user environment.

trap 1 2 3

Lets change the prompt from # or $ to something more useful. This can be done by setting the value of PS1.

I want to configure a prompt that displays the current user, name of the system, and the current directory path.

Add the following to the end of the /etc/profile script.

The only problem with the above is that if you are in a very long directory path, you will have very little room to see the command you are typing because the line does not wrap if you reach the right side of the screen. You can get useful information by just displaying the last two directories of the current path. If you ever need to know the current complete path, just issue the pwd command.

User Specific Settings

{$HOME} is the user's home directory which by default is /home/{$USERNAME}/ where {$USERNAME} is what the user typed at the login: prompt.

{$HOME}/.profile - used for overriding or adding to global settings and only apply to one user.

Don't include the current directory in search path