Debian Linux - Setting an environment variable for all users

Question

I added the following in /etc/profile so that all my users can see the path

export JAVA_HOME=/opt/jdk11
export PATH=$PATH:$JAVA_HOME/bin

But after restarting my laptop, I cannot see the changes using echo $JAVA_PATH. I thought there is an order for how the scripts are loaded. and Also, If I was to add this changes into a separate sh file in /etc/profile.d, it's supposed to do the same. So why is it that it's failing to see the path changes.

JAVA_PATH or JAVA_HOME? You assign one but mention the other in the echo. — ilkkachu, Mar 13 '19 at 22:15
Just asking to verify that you didn't accidentally set the wrong variable. You could [edit] your question to clarify it, just so that no-one else makes the wrong interpretation. — ilkkachu, Mar 13 '19 at 22:21
See https://wiki.debian.org/EnvironmentVariables for the official stance. — Ferenc Wágner, Mar 14 '19 at 08:36
All users might enjoy of variables, settings, aliases and other stuff which is places in /etc/profile. — Ivy Growing, Dec 16 '21 at 07:32

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Apr 04 '19 at 09:41

1

Perhaps you are testing in a non-interactive shell. For interactive shells, both /etc/profile and /etc/bash.bashrc are sourced, but for non-interactive shells, only /etc/bash.bashrc is sourced. You might try putting your variables in that file.

/etc/profile, ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bash_login, ~/.profile and related files on other shells are discussed at length in this answer.

edited Apr 04 '19 at 09:41

Rui F Ribeiro

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answered Mar 13 '19 at 22:40

sondra.kinsey

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I think it's the latter. Thanks for explaining the interactive shell concept. Appreciated! – ha9u63a7 Mar 13 '19 at 22:41

score -1 · Answer 2 · edited Feb 17 '21 at 10:40

-1

First lines in /etc/bash.bashrc state this:

System-wide .bashrc file for interactive bash(1) shells.

To enable the settings / commands in this file for login shells as well, this file has to be sourced in /etc/profile.

So, system wide additional environment variables, to use in any user terminal, should be located in it. Even root environment will use these.

edited Feb 17 '21 at 10:40

AdminBee

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answered Feb 17 '21 at 09:40

Rocdufer

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Debian Linux - Setting an environment variable for all users

2 Answers2