Re: Changing an existing PATH as seen in QSHELL

Just put an echo in the .profile. pwd will tell you what directory
you're in. You'll get reminded every time you start the shell.
pwd
echo .profile executed

Pete@xxxxxxxxxx 12/15/2009 2:45:33 PM >>>

The answer to 1 is: Because that is the way that worked!

I could not figure out a way to change it directly unless my profile
entries were causing the issue in the first place. I used the WRKENVVAR

LEVEL(*SYS) command but it had no effect (maybe due to my profile
entries) and in perusing the archives I found an entry that mentioned
that the Environment variables weren't utilized by QSHELL. The only
archive entries I found that worked pointed to changing the profile.
Indeed, it DID work.

The application I was use changes about every 6 months to a year so I
need to update the path so the newer executables can be found. If there

is a better way to handle changes to path so that the executables can be

found when run in QShell, let me know.

I agree the "hidden" nature of the files makes it "cleaner". I just
have to figure out how to remind myself how to find them when I do need
them.

Thanks,

Pete


Scott Klement wrote:

Hello,

What was confusing me is that the .profile files are "invisible" when

you use the wrklnk command.

In Unix, a filename that starts with a dot is a "hidden" file. Much
like a hidden file in Windows, you can not normally see it in a
directory listing.

On Unix systems, any per-user configuration files are stored in the
users home directory. However, a user logs on to their home directory

and uses it for all of their documents and other work. So it'd be

easy

for them to accidentally delete configuration files, et al, if they
weren't hidden. For example, they might be doing their "spring
cleaning" and deleting the files they don't need. The casual user

might

not understand a "Profile" file (since it was likely installed by IT)
and so might think "I never use this, I'll delete it". Causing

future

logins to work improperly.

That's why it's hidden. It's nicer, because it's not cluttering up

your

workspace, and it's safer, because the casual user won't accidentally
delete it.

Not really a problem on i, because folks rarely use their home
directories the way a Unix user would. Indeed, you're lucky on IBM i

if

the users even know the IFS exists. But, IBM treats it the way Unix
does, for ease of porting apps.

Anyway... this leaves me with two questions:

1) Why do you use .profile for your PATH?

2) If you only need to change it once each year, why not just

manipulate

the PATH variable directly rather than updating your .profile? Is it

a

permanent change that lasts the whole year?