hush

I redirected env into a file, and then altered it a little so that I could set the environmental variables when a script is executed.

I was having a problem when the script was being executed by cron.

In the end it worked out ok but I was wondering if anyone could explain each part of the command I added or has a link to a page that had some info on it. I found the command in a scripting book and then again on the web but neither of them went into any detail.

I hate using code that I don’t understand.


This is what I think is happening:
The PATH=/usr/local/bin sets the variable to what ever is on the right hand side of the =

Export PATH exports the variable, as it is a global variable it is able to do this (can some one confirm this is correct)

$PATH: was on a line that followed PATH=/usr/local/bin so I assume this somhow appends the string within the variable (this is a guess and the part I am most confused by). What is the “:” all about?.

hush

Infinite Recursion

Yes, you are correct.

Exporting the variable, makes the value of the variable accessible by the system... as in a "system environment variable".

$PATH is used as a place holder for the value of the current path. The new path (/usr/local/bin) is appended to the current path ($PATH). The : is a delimeter to separate the various directories specified in the path.

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hush

Cheers IR.

jim mcnamara

Maybe you mean system in a different way, but export assures that the current process and all children of the process can see this version (in this case PATH) of a variable. It doesn't cross parent/child process lines, ie., my neighbor's processes can't see it.

Infinite Recursion

Hence the quotes... I was trying to be abstract to provide simplicity.

__________________
http://jasonpowers.net

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."