NAME

profile − set up user’s environment at login time

DESCRIPTION

If the file /etc/profile exists, it is executed by the shell for every user who logs in.  The file /etc/profile should be set up to do only those things that are desirable for every user on the system, or to set reasonable defaults.  If your login (home) directory contains a file named .profile, that file will be executed (via the shell’s exec .profile) before your session begins.  .Profile files are useful for setting various environment parameters, setting terminal modes, or overriding some or all of the results of executing /etc/profile. 

The following example is typical (except for the comments):

#  Make some environment variables global
export MAIL PATH TERM
#  Set file creation mask
umask 22
#  Tell me when new mail comes in
MAIL=/usr/mail/myname
#  Add my /bin directory to the shell search sequence
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
# Set terminal type
echo "terminal: \c"
read TERM
case $TERM in
300)stty cr2 nl0 tabs; tabs;;
300s)stty cr2 nl0 tabs; tabs;;
450)stty cr2 nl0 tabs; tabs;;
hp)stty cr0 nl0 tabs; tabs;;
745|735)stty cr1 nl] -tabs; TERM=745;;
43)stty cr1 nl0 -tabs;;
4014|tek)stty cr0 nl0 -tabs ffl; TERM=4014; echo "33;";;
*)echo "$TERM unknown";;

esac

A more complete model .profile may be found in /etc/d.profile. 

FILES

$HOME/.profile
/etc/profile

HARDWARE DEPENDENCIES

Integral PC
The file /etc/d.profile is not supported. 

SEE ALSO

env(1), login(1), mail(1), sh(1), stty(1), su(1), environ(5), term(5). 

Hewlett-Packard Company  —  Version B.1,  May 11, 2021