UNIX / Linux: Set your PATH Variable Using set or export Command

Author: Vivek Gite Last updated: October 5, 2013 21 comments

How do I add a new path to $PATH variable under Linux and UNIX like operating system? What is my path, and how do I set or modify it using csh/tcsh or bash/ksh/sh shell?

The PATH is an environment variable. It is a colon delimited list of directories that your shell searches through when you enter a command. All executables are kept in different directories on the Linux and Unix like operating systems.

Tutorial details
Difficulty level	Easy
Root privileges	No
Requirements	None
Est. reading time	5m

Finding out your current path

To find out what your current path setting, type the following command at shell prompt. Open the Terminal and then enter:

echo "$PATH"

printf "%s\n" "$PATH"

Sample outputs:

/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/opt/X11/bin:/usr/local/sbin/modemZapp:/Users/vivek/gcutil-1.8.4

How do I modify my path?

To modify your path edit $PATH variable as per your shell. The syntax for setting path under UNIX / Linux dependent upon your login shell.

Bash, Sh, Ksh shell syntax to modify $PATH

If you are using bash, sh, or ksh, at the shell prompt, type:

## please note 'PATH' is CASE sensitivity and must be in UPPERCASE ##
export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/dir1
export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/dir1:/path/to/dir2

## please note 'PATH' is CASE sensitivity and must be in UPPERCASE ##
PATH=$PATH:/path/to/dir1; export PATH

Please feel free to replace /path/to/dir1 with the directory you want the shell to search.

Tcsh or csh shell syntax to modify $PATH

If you are using tcsh or csh, shell enter:

 ## please note 'path' is case sensitivity and must be in lowercase ##
set path = ($path /path/to/dir1)
set path = ($path /path/to/dir1 /path/to/dir2)

## please note 'PATH' is CASE sensitivity and must be in UPPERCASE ##
setenv PATH $PATH:/path/to/dir1
setenv PATH $PATH:/path/to/dir1:/path/to/dir2

Please feel free to replace /path/to/dir1 with the directory you want the shell to search.

Examples

In this example add /usr/local/bin to your path under BASH/ksh/sh shell, enter:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin

PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin; export PATH

To make these changes permanent, add the commands described above to the end of your ~/.profile file for sh and ksh shell, or ~/.bash_profile file for bash shell:

## BASH SHELL ##
echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin'  >> ~/.bash_profile

KSH/sh shell user try:

## KSH / SH SHELL ##
echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin'  >> ~/.profile

In this final example add /usr/local/bin/ and /scripts/admin/ to your path under csh / tcsh shell, enter:

set path = ($path /usr/local/bin /scripts/admin)

setenv PATH $PATH:/usr/local/bin:/scripts/admin

To make these changes permanent, add the commands described above to the end of your ~/.cshrc file:

echo 'set path = ($path /usr/local/bin /scripts/admin)'  >> ~/.cshrc

echo 'setenv PATH $PATH:/usr/local/bin:/scripts/admin'  >> ~/.cshrc

To verify new path settings, enter:
$ echo $PATH

Category	List of Unix and Linux commands
Disk space analyzers	ncdu • pydf
File Management	cat
Firewall	Alpine Awall • CentOS 8 • OpenSUSE • RHEL 8 • Ubuntu 16.04 • Ubuntu 18.04 • Ubuntu 20.04
Network Utilities	NetHogs • dig • host • ip • nmap
OpenVPN	CentOS 7 • CentOS 8 • Debian 10 • Debian 8/9 • Ubuntu 18.04 • Ubuntu 20.04
Package Manager	apk • apt
Processes Management	bg • chroot • cron • disown • fg • jobs • killall • kill • pidof • pstree • pwdx • time
Searching	grep • whereis • which
User Information	groups • id • lastcomm • last • lid/libuser-lid • logname • members • users • whoami • who • w
WireGuard VPN	Alpine • CentOS 8 • Debian 10 • Firewall • Ubuntu 20.04

21 comments… add one

Giovanni L. Uson Jan 27, 2009 @ 4:58

Hello,

I am a newbie on Linux.

I would like to ask if I can include an environment variable (e.g. ARCHIVES) that points to a directory (e.g. EXPORT ARCHIVES=/some/path/directory) to the .bash_profile, so that I dont do exporting all the time, everytime I need to use the directory?

regards,
Giovanni

Reply Link
bharath Sep 30, 2009 @ 9:59

How to set the CLASSPATH??

Reply Link
anonymous Nov 3, 2009 @ 17:21

Or add as follows to your .bashrc file:
“echo ‘export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin’ >> ~/.bashrc”

Isn’t echo ” ‘PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin’ >> ~/.bashrc ” a better idea?

Reply Link
Nir Dec 24, 2010 @ 11:12

Guys,

how can I remove a path variable??

Reply Link
- OnlyOne Aug 31, 2011 @ 10:20
  
  Hi,
  To remove a path, go to”File System”. Open
  /etc folder and edit (that is, remove )the path from the ‘environment’ text file. You can edit using the sudo command. Following are the commands.
  cd ~
  cd etc
  sudo gedit environment
  
  After removing the path from the “environment” file, save and restart the machine
  
  Reply Link
  - OnlyOne Aug 31, 2011 @ 10:29
    
    Hi,
    There was one mistake. It is “cd /”, not “cd ~”
    To remove a path, go to”File System”. Open
    /etc folder and edit (that is, remove )the path from the ‘environment’ text file. You can edit using the sudo command. Following are the commands.
    cd /
    cd etc
    sudo gedit environment
    
    After removing the path from the “environment” file, save and restart the machine
    
    Reply Link
Sreejith Apr 27, 2011 @ 7:02

To add a PATH for any user with sh or bash shell permanantly use the following steps.

1. Create a new file .profile in root(/) directory.
2. Add the following lines into it
PATH= path to enter
export PATH
3.save the file
4.exit and login to server again
5.check using echo $PATH

IT will work. Please let me know if tou have any queries on this !!!

Sreejith

Reply Link
- Sreejith Apr 27, 2011 @ 7:04
  
  The above one is only for root user
  
  Reply Link
alberto Jun 6, 2011 @ 0:21

When I run my program I get this result:
terminate called after throwing an instance of ‘std::logic_error’
what(): basic_string::_S_construct NULL not valid
Aborted

Is this a result of having the wrong environment variable on my path or what. The program compiles without any errors. This is happening on Ubuntu (Linux, OS 10.0)

Reply Link
Sumanth Jun 11, 2012 @ 9:33

Hi ,

Could any one explain me about the functionality of command in shell script
set -xv
. /opt/app/etl/bin/profile.ksh
. `dirname $0`/env.cfg

Reply Link
- souji Jun 13, 2013 @ 8:56
  
  Hi Sumanth,
  
  Print input commands and their arguments as they are executed –> when you use set -xv
  
  Reply Link
Eric Oct 5, 2013 @ 1:32
Hi there, thanks fo the article!

FYI, I just tried the syntax above for a tcsh but it didn’t work.
This works:
```
setenv PATH ${PATH}:${HOME}/bin:.
```
(Include this line directly in your .cshrc file. This example adds a dir called ~/bin and your current dir to the previously existing PATH)

(Or, if you don’t want to open and edit your ~/.cshrc file, type this in a teminal:)
```
echo 'setenv PATH ${PATH}:${HOME}/bin:.' >> ~/.cshrc
```
Reply Link
- 🐧 nixCraft Oct 5, 2013 @ 8:05
  Hi,
  
  Thanks for the heads up. The faq has been updated with correct syntax. FYI, the syntax setenv PATH ${PATH}:${HOME}/bin:. can be updated using the following syntax too:
```
 ## please note 'path' is case sensitivity and must be in lowercase ##
set path = ($path $HOME/bin .)
echo $path
echo $PATH
```
  Appreciate your post.
  Reply Link
satish Nov 28, 2013 @ 17:22

it helps me lots thanks………….

Reply Link

Mcgrady Chen Feb 6, 2014 @ 8:40

Hi :
I am new to linux.
May I ask how to convert this bash to tcsh?

#remove faulty version of Makefile from $PATH
export PATH$(echo $PATH | tr `:` `\n` | awk `$0 != "/usr/local/bin"` | paste -sd:)

Best Regards,
McGrady

Reply Link

Yahya Aug 4, 2015 @ 11:58

Useful.. Thanks

Reply Link

Michael Aug 27, 2015 @ 0:57

why would this code be on my computer in a install file with along with macports pubkey and several other files?????

# $Id: setupenv.bash.in 99822 2012-11-18 11:20:14Z raimue@macports.org $

function export_path() {
    local binpath="/opt/local/bin"
    local sbinpath="/opt/local/sbin"

    local IFS=":"
    local p

    for p in $PATH; do
        if [ "$p" == "$binpath" ]; then
            binpath=""
        elif [ "$p" == "$sbinpath" ]; then
            sbinpath=""
        fi
    done

    if [ -n "$binpath" ]; then
        binpath+=":"
    fi

    if [ -n "$sbinpath" ]; then
        sbinpath+=":"
    fi

    export PATH="${binpath}${sbinpath}${PATH}"
}

function export_manpath() {
    local mpath="/opt/local/share/man"
    local IFS=":"
    local p

    if [ -z "$MANPATH" ]; then
        return
    fi

    for p in $MANPATH; do
        if [ "$p" == "$mpath" ]; then
            mpath=""
        fi
    done

    if [ -n "$mpath" ]; then
        mpath+=":"
    fi

    export MANPATH="${mpath}${MANPATH}"
}

function export_display() {
    if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ]; then
        export DISPLAY=":0.0"
    fi
}

export_path
export_manpath
export_display

# Remove defined functions to prevent them from cluttering the shell,
# but they are needed to restrict variables to the local scope
unset export_path
unset export_manpath
unset export_display