The Bash Shell Startup Files

/etc/profile

Here is a base /etc/profile. This file starts by setting up some helper functions and some basic parameters. It specifies some bash history parameters and, for security purposes, disables keeping a permanent history file for the root user. It then calls small, single purpose scripts in the /etc/profile.d directory to provide most of the initialization.

cat > /etc/profile << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/profile
# Written for Beyond Linux From Scratch
# by James Robertson <[email protected]>
# modifications by Dagmar d'Surreal <[email protected]>

# System wide environment variables and startup programs.

# System wide aliases and functions should go in /etc/bashrc.  Personal
# environment variables and startup programs should go into
# ~/.bash_profile.  Personal aliases and functions should go into
# ~/.bashrc.

# Functions to help us manage paths.  Second argument is the name of the
# path variable to be modified (default: PATH)
pathremove () {
        local IFS=':'
        local NEWPATH
        local DIR
        local PATHVARIABLE=${2:-PATH}
        for DIR in ${!PATHVARIABLE} ; do
                if [ "$DIR" != "$1" ] ; then
                  NEWPATH=${NEWPATH:+$NEWPATH:}$DIR
                fi
        done
        export $PATHVARIABLE="$NEWPATH"
}

pathprepend () {
        pathremove $1 $2
        local PATHVARIABLE=${2:-PATH}
        export $PATHVARIABLE="$1${!PATHVARIABLE:+:${!PATHVARIABLE}}"
}

pathappend () {
        pathremove $1 $2
        local PATHVARIABLE=${2:-PATH}
        export $PATHVARIABLE="${!PATHVARIABLE:+${!PATHVARIABLE}:}$1"
}

export -f pathremove pathprepend pathappend

# Set the initial path
export PATH=/usr/bin

# Attempt to provide backward compatibility with LFS earlier than 11
if [ ! -L /bin ]; then
        pathappend /bin
fi

if [ $EUID -eq 0 ] ; then
        pathappend /usr/sbin
        if [ ! -L /sbin ]; then
                pathappend /sbin
        fi
        unset HISTFILE
fi

# Set up some environment variables.
export HISTSIZE=1000
export HISTIGNORE="&:[bf]g:exit"

# Set some defaults for graphical systems
export XDG_DATA_DIRS=${XDG_DATA_DIRS:-/usr/share}
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS:-/etc/xdg}
export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/tmp/xdg-$USER}

for script in /etc/profile.d/*.sh ; do
        if [ -r $script ] ; then
                . $script
        fi
done

unset script

# End /etc/profile
EOF

install --directory --mode=0755 --owner=root --group=root /etc/profile.d

/etc/profile.d/bash_completion.sh

Note

Using the bash completion script below is controversial. Not all users like it. It adds many (usually over 1000) lines to the bash environment and makes it difficult to use the 'set' command to examine simple environment variables. Omitting this script does not interfere with the ability of bash to use the tab key for file name completion.

This script imports bash completion scripts, installed by many other BLFS packages, to allow TAB command line completion.

cat > /etc/profile.d/bash_completion.sh << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/profile.d/bash_completion.sh
# Import bash completion scripts

# If the bash-completion package is installed, use its configuration instead
if [ -f /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion ]; then

  # Check for interactive bash and that we haven't already been sourced.
  if [ -n "${BASH_VERSION-}" -a -n "${PS1-}" -a -z "${BASH_COMPLETION_VERSINFO-}" ]; then

    # Check for recent enough version of bash.
    if [ ${BASH_VERSINFO[0]} -gt 4 ] || \
       [ ${BASH_VERSINFO[0]} -eq 4 -a ${BASH_VERSINFO[1]} -ge 1 ]; then
       [ -r "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/bash_completion" ] && \
            . "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/bash_completion"
       if shopt -q progcomp && [ -r /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion ]; then
          # Source completion code.
          . /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion
       fi
    fi
  fi

else

  # bash-completions are not installed, use only bash completion directory
  if shopt -q progcomp; then
    for script in /etc/bash_completion.d/* ; do
      if [ -r $script ] ; then
        . $script
      fi
    done
  fi
fi

# End /etc/profile.d/bash_completion.sh
EOF

Make sure that the directory exists:

install --directory --mode=0755 --owner=root --group=root /etc/bash_completion.d

For a more complete installation, see https://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/bash-shell-startup-files#bash-completions.

cat > /etc/profile.d/dircolors.sh << "EOF"
# Setup for /bin/ls and /bin/grep to support color, the alias is in /etc/bashrc.
if [ -f "/etc/dircolors" ] ; then
        eval $(dircolors -b /etc/dircolors)
fi

if [ -f "$HOME/.dircolors" ] ; then
        eval $(dircolors -b $HOME/.dircolors)
fi
EOF

/etc/profile.d/extrapaths.sh

This script adds some useful paths to the PATH and can be used to customize other PATH related environment variables (e.g. LD_LIBRARY_PATH, etc) that may be needed for all users.

cat > /etc/profile.d/extrapaths.sh << "EOF"
if [ -d /usr/local/lib/pkgconfig ] ; then
        pathappend /usr/local/lib/pkgconfig PKG_CONFIG_PATH
fi
if [ -d /usr/local/bin ]; then
        pathprepend /usr/local/bin
fi
if [ -d /usr/local/sbin -a $EUID -eq 0 ]; then
        pathprepend /usr/local/sbin
fi

if [ -d /usr/local/share ]; then
        pathprepend /usr/local/share XDG_DATA_DIRS
fi

# Set some defaults before other applications add to these paths.
pathappend /usr/share/info INFOPATH
EOF

Note

The man program automatically deduce the search path for man pages by examining the content of the PATH variable, see manpath(5) for details. Setting the MANPATH variable may override the automatic deduction, so the BLFS editors do not recommend to set it. If you must set it for any reason, it's better to start its value with a colon (:), for example MANPATH=:/opt/somepkg/share/man:/opt/otherpkg/share/man so the paths listed in the MANPATH variable will be appended to the automatically deduced value instead of overriding it.

cat > /etc/profile.d/readline.sh << "EOF"
# Set up the INPUTRC environment variable.
if [ -z "$INPUTRC" -a ! -f "$HOME/.inputrc" ] ; then
        INPUTRC=/etc/inputrc
fi
export INPUTRC
EOF

cat > /etc/profile.d/umask.sh << "EOF"
# By default, the umask should be set.
if [ "$(id -gn)" = "$(id -un)" -a $EUID -gt 99 ] ; then
  umask 002
else
  umask 022
fi
EOF

cat > /etc/profile.d/i18n.sh << "EOF"
# Set up i18n variables
for i in $(locale); do
  unset ${i%=*}
done

if [[ "$TERM" = linux ]]; then
  export LANG=C.UTF-8
else
  source /etc/locale.conf

  for i in $(locale); do
    key=${i%=*}
    if [[ -v $key ]]; then
      export $key
    fi
  done
fi
EOF

/etc/bashrc

Here is a base /etc/bashrc. Comments in the file should explain everything you need.

cat > /etc/bashrc << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/bashrc
# Written for Beyond Linux From Scratch
# by James Robertson <[email protected]>
# updated by Bruce Dubbs <[email protected]>

# System wide aliases and functions.

# System wide environment variables and startup programs should go into
# /etc/profile.  Personal environment variables and startup programs
# should go into ~/.bash_profile.  Personal aliases and functions should
# go into ~/.bashrc

# Provides colored /bin/ls and /bin/grep commands.  Used in conjunction
# with code in /etc/profile.

alias ls='ls --color=auto'
alias grep='grep --color=auto'

# Provides prompt for interactive shells, specifically shells started
# in the X environment. [Review the LFS archive thread titled
# PS1 Environment Variable for a great case study behind this script
# addendum.]

NORMAL="\[\e[0m\]"
RED="\[\e[1;31m\]"
GREEN="\[\e[1;32m\]"
if [[ $EUID == 0 ]] ; then
  PS1="$RED\u [ $NORMAL\w$RED ]# $NORMAL"
else
  PS1="$GREEN\u [ $NORMAL\w$GREEN ]\$ $NORMAL"
fi

unset RED GREEN NORMAL

# GnuPG wants this or it'll fail with pinentry-curses under some
# circumstances (for example signing a Git commit)
tty -s && export GPG_TTY=$(tty)

# End /etc/bashrc
EOF

For more information on the escape sequences you can use for your prompt (i.e., the PS1 environment variable) see info bash -- Node: Printing a Prompt.

~/.bash_profile

Here is a base ~/.bash_profile. If you want each new user to have this file automatically, just change the output of the command to /etc/skel/.bash_profile and check the permissions after the command is run. You can then copy /etc/skel/.bash_profile to the home directories of already existing users, including root, and set the owner and group appropriately.

cat > ~/.bash_profile << "EOF"
# Begin ~/.bash_profile
# Written for Beyond Linux From Scratch
# by James Robertson <[email protected]>
# updated by Bruce Dubbs <[email protected]>

# Personal environment variables and startup programs.

# Personal aliases and functions should go in ~/.bashrc.  System wide
# environment variables and startup programs are in /etc/profile.
# System wide aliases and functions are in /etc/bashrc.

if [ -f "$HOME/.bashrc" ] ; then
  source $HOME/.bashrc
fi

if [ -d "$HOME/bin" ] ; then
  pathprepend $HOME/bin
fi

# Having . in the PATH is dangerous
#if [ $EUID -gt 99 ]; then
#  pathappend .
#fi

# End ~/.bash_profile
EOF

~/.profile

Here is a base ~/.profile. The comments and instructions for using /etc/skel for .bash_profile above also apply here. Only the target file names are different.

cat > ~/.profile << "EOF"
# Begin ~/.profile
# Personal environment variables and startup programs.

if [ -d "$HOME/bin" ] ; then
  pathprepend $HOME/bin
fi

# Set up user specific i18n variables
#export LANG=<ll>_<CC>.<charmap><@modifiers>

# End ~/.profile
EOF

~/.bashrc

Here is a base ~/.bashrc.

cat > ~/.bashrc << "EOF"
# Begin ~/.bashrc
# Written for Beyond Linux From Scratch
# by James Robertson <[email protected]>

# Personal aliases and functions.

# Personal environment variables and startup programs should go in
# ~/.bash_profile.  System wide environment variables and startup
# programs are in /etc/profile.  System wide aliases and functions are
# in /etc/bashrc.

if [ -f "/etc/bashrc" ] ; then
  source /etc/bashrc
fi

# Set up user specific i18n variables
#export LANG=<ll>_<CC>.<charmap><@modifiers>

# End ~/.bashrc
EOF

~/.bash_logout

This is an empty ~/.bash_logout that can be used as a template. You will notice that the base ~/.bash_logout does not include a clear command. This is because the clear is handled in the /etc/issue file.

cat > ~/.bash_logout << "EOF"
# Begin ~/.bash_logout
# Written for Beyond Linux From Scratch
# by James Robertson <[email protected]>

# Personal items to perform on logout.

# End ~/.bash_logout
EOF

/etc/dircolors

If you want to use the dircolors capability, then run the following command. The /etc/skel setup steps shown above also can be used here to provide a ~/.dircolors file when a new user is set up. As before, just change the output file name on the following command and assure the permissions, owner, and group are correct on the files created and/or copied.

dircolors -p > /etc/dircolors

If you wish to customize the colors used for different file types, you can edit the /etc/dircolors file. The instructions for setting the colors are embedded in the file.

Finally, Ian Macdonald has written an excellent collection of tips and tricks to enhance your shell environment. You can read it online at https://caliban.org/bash/index.shtml.