Path to in linux server

Add directory to path globally on ubuntu server

How can I add my own directory to PATH without editing my local profile’s .bash_profile or .bashrc? I need to make the scripts in the directory universally accessible from any user that is logged in.

3 Answers 3

You should modify the file /etc/environment.

Modify it how? I tried using the same as what I would have put in profile or bashrc and it doesn’t do anything.

I tried adding the path to environment file. It didn’t work. However, the Raghuram’s suggestion worked like a charm.

This would be the best solution on systemd machines. It requires a reboot or logout/in to affect processes system wide. The same as bashrc

You could add the following in /etc/bashrc

export PATH="$PATH:/your/directory" 

/etc/bash.bashrc is the location. But refer to /etc/environment as this is the more recent way to achieve what was asked.

Better /etc/profile, so it should work for other shells, as sh

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Absolute vs Relative Path in Linux: What’s the Difference?

In this essential Linux learning chapter, know about the relative and absolute paths in Linux. What’s the difference between them and which one should you use.

Path is one of the most essential concepts in Linux and this is something every Linux user must know.

A path is how you refer to files and directories. It gives the location of a file or directory in the Linux directory structure. It is composed of a name and slash syntax.

As a user, you’ll have to use the path when you want to access a certain file or directory or when you have to give the location of a file or directory to a command or script.

cat /home/abhishek/scripts/my_script.sh

Remember, if the path starts with slash «/», the first slash denotes root. The rest of the slashes in the path are just separators. Beginners often get confused between the root slash and the separator slashes.

In the above diagram, you have the first path that starts with root slash. There is another path that doesn’t start with / (i.e., root).

Both are correct. The first one is absolute path and the second one is relative path. Let’s have a detailed look at them.

Absolute and Relative Path in Linux

The Absolute path always starts from the root directory (/). For example, /home/abhishek/scripts/my_scripts.sh.

A relative path starts from the current directory. For example, if you are in the /home directory and you want to access the my_scripts.sh file, you can use abhishek/scripts/my_scripts.sh.

Understanding the difference between absolute and relative paths

You know that the directory structure in Linux resembles the root of a tree. Everything starts at root and branches out from there.

Now imagine that you are in the directory abhishek and you want to access the my_scripts.sh file.

The absolute path is depicted in the green dotted line and the relative path is depicted in the yellow dotted lines.

Suppose you want to see the properties of the file my_script.sh using the ls command.

You may use the absolute path that starts with the root directory (/):

ls -l /home/abhishek/scripts/my_script.sh

Or, you can use the relative path (which starts from the current directory, not /):

Both commands will yield the same result (except for the path of the file).

In Linux, file names are case sensitive and can have uppercase, lowercase, numbers, periods, dashes, underscores and most symbols except slash (/). Slash (/) is reserved for root and for separating directories in the path.

Using relative path with . and .. directories

Let me show another examples to explain the difference between absolute path and relative path. But before that, you should know about two special relative paths:

• . ( single dot) denotes the current directory in the path.
• .. (two dots) denotes the parent directory, i.e., one level above.

Things will be clear in a moment. Take a look at the scenario. In this one, you want to go to the directory prakash from the directory abhishek .

You can use the cd command to switch directories. The absolute path is quite evident here:

To use the relative path, you’ll have to use the special relative path:

Why use . Because a relative path requires direction from the current directory and you have to tell the cd command to go up a level before going down. The .. brings you to the /home directory and from there you go to the prakash directory.

I hope things are a lot more clear now.

The absolute path always starts with root (/) and will remain the same irrespective of your current location. The relative path depends on your current location.

Which one should you use? Relative path or absolute path?

To be honest, there is no straightforward answer to this question. It really depends on the situation.

If you are deep down in directory hierarchy and you have to move a level up or down, using the relative path will be easier.

Suppose you are in /home/username/programming/project/interface/src/header directory and you have to access something in /home/username/programming/project/interface/bin directory. Using the relative path would save you from typing all those lengthy directory name and you can simply use ../../bin here.

But if you have to access something in the /usr/bin directory from /home/username/programming/project/interface/src/header directory, using something like ../../../../../../usr/bin will not be a wise thing to do. Using the absolute path is the sensible thing to do in this case.

Another case is using the paths in scripts or programs. When you are sure of the location, use the absolute path. If your project has several folders and you are required switching between directories, you may use the relative path here because you do not where the end user will be copying all the project files, in the home directory or in some dev directory.

In other words, you should know both methods and use the one that is going to be easier based on your scenario.

I hope you have a better understanding of path and navigation in Linux now. If you have questions or suggestions, please leave a comment.

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How To View and Update the Linux PATH Environment Variable

After installing a command-line program, you may only be able to run it in the same directory as the program. You can run a command-line program from any directory with the help of an environment variable called PATH .

The PATH variable contains a list of directories the system checks before running a command. Updating the PATH variable will enable you to run any executables found in the directories mentioned in PATH from any directory without typing the absolute file path.

For example, instead of typing the following to run a Python program:

Because the /usr/bin directory is included in the PATH variable, you can type this instead:

The directories are listed in priority order, so the ones that will be checked first are mentioned first.

In this tutorial, you will view the PATH variable and update its value.

Prerequisites

For an overview of environment variables, refer to the How To Read and Set Environmental and Shell Variables on Linux article.

Step 1 — Viewing the PATH Variable

You can view the PATH variable with the following command:

An unchanged PATH may look something like this (file paths may differ slightly depending on your system):

Output
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games 

Some directories are mentioned by default, and each directory in PATH is separated with a colon : . The system checks these directories from left to right when running a program.

When a command-line program is not installed in any of the mentioned directories, you may need to add the directory of that program to PATH .

Step 2 — Adding a Directory to the PATH Environment Variable

A directory can be added to PATH in two ways: at the start or the end of a path.

Adding a directory ( /the/file/path for example) to the start of PATH will mean it is checked first:

Adding a directory to the end of PATH means it will be checked after all other directories:

Multiple directories can be added to PATH at once by adding a colon : between the directories:

Once the export command is executed, you can view the PATH variable to see the changes:

You will see an output like this:

Output
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games:/the/file/path 

This method will only work for the current shell session. Once you exit the current session and start a new one, the PATH variable will reset to its default value and no longer contain the directory you added. For the PATH to persist across different shell sessions, it has to be stored in a file.

Step 3 — Permanently Adding a Directory to the PATH Variable

In this step, you will add a directory permanently in the shell configuration file, which is ~/.bashrc if you’re using a bash shell or ~/.zshrc if you’re using a zsh shell. This tutorial will use ~/.bashrc as an example.

First, open the ~/.bashrc file:

The ~/.bashrc file will have existing data, which you will not modify. At the bottom of the file, add the export command with your new directory:

Use the methods described in the prior section to clarify whether you want the new directory to be checked first or last in the PATH .

Save and close the file. The changes to the PATH variable will be made once a new shell session is started. To apply the changes to the current session, use the source command:

You can add new directories in the future by opening this file and appending directories separated by a colon : to the existing export command.

Conclusion

The PATH environment variable is a crucial aspect of command-line use. It enables you to run command-line programs, such as echo and python3 , from any directory without typing the full path. In cases where adding the directory to PATH isn’t part of the installation process, this tutorial provides the required steps. For more on environmental variables, see How To Read and Set Environmental and Shell Variables on Linux.

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