How to Set $Path Variable in Linux

The $PATH variable plays an important role in Linux and Unix-based operating systems. It contains a list of directories that hold various executables on the system. The $PATH variable allows you to run any programs in Linux seamlessly. Generally, the $PATH variable contains the /bin, /usr/bin, /usr/local/bin, /sbin and /usr/sbin directories. However, you can also add your own directories to the $PATH variable to execute any script from anywhere on the system without specifying the script’s absolute path.

In this post, we will show you how to set a $PATH variable in Linux.

Check Current $PATH Variables

The $PATH variable is a colon-delimited list of directories that tell the Linux shell to determine where to search for an executable file.

To check the list of directories that currently exists in your $PATH, run the following command:

echo $PATH

You should see the following output:

/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin

You can also use the printenv command to list all variables:

printenv

Output:

LOGNAME=root
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/0/bus
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/0
XAUTHORITY=/run/user/1000/gdm/Xauthority
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
LESSOPEN=| /usr/bin/lesspipe %s
_=/usr/bin/printenv

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Setting $PATH Variable Temporarily

If you just want to run any script in your current active session, then it is recommended to set a temporary $PATH variable. After setting up a $PATH variable, you can able to run your script with a command from anywhere on your system without specifying the full path of the script.

Use the following syntax to set a $PATH variable temporarily:

export PATH=$PATH:/directory-path

For example, if your script is located inside the /home/vyom/app directory, run the following command to add /home/vyom/app directory to a $PATH variable.

export PATH=$PATH:/home/vyom/app

This command will set a $PATH variable only for your active session. It will reset back to the default after the system restart.

Setting $PATH Variable Permanently

If you want to use any program or script regularly, it would be recommended to set a $PATH variable permanently. You can add a $PATH variable to ~/.bashrc and /etc/profile file.

• If you want to set a $PATH for a specific user then you will need to add the $PATH variable inside the user’s ~/.bashrc file.
• If you want to set a $PATH for all users then you will need to add the $PATH variable inside /etc/profile file.

For example, to add a $PATH variable for a specific user, edit the ~/.bashrc file:

nano /home/vyom/.bashrc

Add the following line:

export PATH=$PATH:/home/vyom/app

Save and close the file, then update the current shell variable using the following command:

source /home/vyom/.bashrc

To add a $PATH variable for all users, edit the /etc/profile file:

nano /etc/profile

Add the following line:

export PATH=$PATH:/home/vyom/app

Save and close the file, then update the current shell variable using the following command:

source /etc/profile

You can now check the added variable using the following command:

echo $PATH

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Conclusion

In this post, we explained how to set a $PATH variable in Linux. You can now add your desired directory to your user or global $PATH variable. Try it on VPS hosting from Atlantic.Net!