Linux Shell Environment Path

The current PATH environment variable can be viewed with:

echo $PATH

Note that PATH is in capital letters.

Want to know if a command is in $PATH?

which command

Need to add a directory to the shell PATH for your own scripts? Below are methods to modify the PATH, with a focus on Linux Mint and other Linux distributions.

Per-User Shell

You can modify the PATH for a single user by editing shell configuration files. The recommended approach for Linux Mint is to use ~/.bashrc, as it is sourced for every interactive shell and works reliably.

Using ~/.profile

Edit the user's profile file:

vi ~/.profile

Look for the line with a comment about "set PATH so it includes user's private bin directories" and add your custom path, for example (adds /myscripts to the PATH):

PATH="$HOME/bin:$HOME/.local/bin:/myscripts:$PATH"

Save the file. Log out and back in for the changes to take effect. In Linux Mint, ~/.profile is sourced for login shells, and export PATH is typically unnecessary as PATH is already exported.

Using ~/.bashrc (Recommended)

For most Linux Mint users, modifying ~/.bashrc is the preferred method because it applies to all interactive shells, not just login shells. Edit the file:

vi ~/.bashrc

Add your custom path, for example:

PATH="/myscripts:$PATH"

Save the file and run source ~/.bashrc to apply changes immediately. No export PATH is needed in Linux Mint, as PATH is already exported in the shell environment. This method has been verified to work reliably on Linux Mint 21.1 and later.

Note: In older systems, you might encounter references to ~/.bash_profile. In Linux Mint, ~/.profile is used instead for login shells, and ~/.bash_profile is rarely needed unless explicitly created.

Handling PATH with Sudo

If you run sudo bash, your custom PATH directories may disappear. This is because /etc/sudoers is configured with a secure_path that overrides the user's PATH. To address this:

• Edit /etc/sudoers using:

 sudo visudo

• Add your custom directory to the secure_path line, for example:

 Defaults secure_path="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/myscripts"

• Alternatively, remove the secure_path line (not recommended for security reasons).

By default, visudo opens in nano. To change the default editor to vi or another editor:

sudo update-alternatives --config editor

Select your preferred editor from the list.

Adding to the PATH for All Users

To modify the PATH system-wide for all users, you can use one of the following methods.

Editing /etc/profile

Edit the system profile file:

vi /etc/profile

Add your custom path at the bottom, for example:

PATH="$PATH:/your/path"

Save the file. No export PATH is needed, as PATH is typically exported earlier in /etc/profile. Changes take effect for new login shells.

Using /etc/profile.d/ (Recommended)

A more modular approach, common in Linux Mint, is to add a script to /etc/profile.d/:

vi /etc/profile.d/custom-path.sh

Add the following:

PATH="$PATH:/your/path"

Save the file and make it executable:

chmod +x /etc/profile.d/custom-path.sh

This method is cleaner and easier to manage, as it keeps customizations separate from /etc/profile. Changes apply to new login shells.

Additional Notes

• The ~/.bashrc method is particularly reliable in Linux Mint, as it ensures your PATH is updated for every terminal session.
• Always test your PATH after making changes by opening a new terminal and running echo $PATH.
• Avoid removing secure_path from /etc/sudoers unless absolutely necessary, as it enhances system security.

keywords: bash path bashrc profile sudo secure_path environment