environment variables

[schleife]

hi all
i am running aix4.3.3 ML 8.
i want to set an environment variable.
i put in /etc/environment: COBDIR=/usr/lpp/cobol
export COBDIR
when i logged in: echo $COBDIR
the COBDIR variable is empty
next i put in /etc/inittab: start:2:wait:/start.ksh
in /start.ksh : COBDIR=/usr/lpp/cobol
export COBDIR
the same result as above.

when i log in and type: . start.ksh
everything is ok.
what is my mistake?

thank's
schleife

 

[KenCunningham]

Try explicitly setting the COBDIR in your .profile, by including the following:

set COBDIR=/usr/lpp/cobol; export COBDIR

Hope this helps.

 

[KenCunningham]

Oops, sorry, this is AIX isn't it. You don't therefore need the set above, just

COBDIR=/usr/lpp/cobol ; export COBDIR

will do.

 

[bjverzal]

3 things

1. Do not use inittab to set environment variables. Remove that inittab entry ASAP.
2. You can just "export COBDIR=/usr/lpp/cobol"
3. Items in /etc/envronment do not need to be exported.

If you just put "COBDIR="/usr/lpp/cobol" in /etc/environment, it will work fine.

Bill.

 

[schleife]

thank's a lot bjverzal!
whithout exort in /etc/environment it works fine.

schleife

 

[gheist]

"export" will not work from /etc/environment, you should put only VARIABLE=value there to set it up, /etc/profile is for commands for every user

 

[avadh]

Hello,

1) /etc/environment COBDIR=/usr/lpp/cobol
2) /etc/profile
export COBDIR