Re: Bug#65611: general: setting `global' env. variables, esp. PATH

["Decklin Foster" <fosterd@hartwick.edu>]

NAGY Andras writes:

> Add a PATH line to /etc/environment?  Bad luck, /etc/profile comes
> after it, so bash wins again.  Same for /etc/security/pam_env.conf.

where is /etc/environment from anyway? It's on my system, but

; dpkg -S /etc/environment
dpkg: /etc/environment not found.

Basically, we have two different kinds of PATH-setting here:

1. processes that spawn the shell (/etc/login.defs,
   /etc/X11/xdm/xdm-config, whatever's compiled into ssh)

2. shells.

I propose that (1) always use something minimal like "/bin:/usr/bin",
and that (2) source the full PATH from /etc/environment. (or, if
individual users wish, set up a full path by themselves.)

And yes, I'm using a non-sh-style shell. I don't want /etc/profile to
hold the canonical PATH. IMHO, it's broken as it is.

> Let's give up the principle of `one setting -- one config file'

Let's not. (no offense.)

> is empty or equals to some dumb default.

I doubt zsh is *that* brain-damaged. It would be zsh's default script
that did that, no? That can be changed.

Anyway, thoughts: what the fsck do we need to mess with PATH for?

-- 
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