On Sat, Jan 06, 2007 at 10:06:02PM -0500, Tony Heal wrote: > Here is the problem. What you suggest will place the variable in the > environment, but that is what export is supposed to do. > > >From the man for bash > export [-fn] [name[=word]] ... > export -p > The supplied names are marked for automatic export to the environment of > subsequently executed commands. > > Export should allow me to use the variable in other scripts, but it does not > seem to be doing what it does if used in the profile. > > That is what I am confused about. > When you execute your script, a new process is created with your current shell as its parent. In the *new* process, which starts with a copy of the parent's environment, the export is executed and it works. Once the script finishes executing, the *new* process goes away and so do any changes to the environment. Now, when you *source* the file (i.e., that is not execute it) it is as though you were typing the commands yourself in your *current* shell. In that case it will work. Note, however, that the change is only in effect for that shell and any processes spawned by it.
Regards, -Roberto -- Roberto C. Sanchez http://people.connexer.com/~roberto http://www.connexer.com
signature.asc
Description: Digital signature
