Re: [Help-bash] .bash_profile, .bash_login, and .profile

[Michael Convey]

On Wed, Jul 8, 2015 at 5:05 AM, Greg Wooledge <address@hidden> wrote:

> This is relevant in an NIS/NFS environment for example, where your home
> directory is mounted across multiple systems, some of which have ksh
> for your login shell, and some of which have bash for your login shell.
> I work in such an environment.


​This is a very helpful example. Thank you​


> > If that is the case, what is the purpose of retaining the .bash_login
> file?
> ​​
>
> To make the transition from csh easier.
>
> > .bash_login was introduced as part of an unsuccessful attempt at
> > compatibility with the C shell.
>
> "Compatibility" is not the right word here.  The syntax is nothing alike,
> and very few csh commands will work in bash (or any other shell).  It's
> simply so the hordes of csh users coming out of academia feel slightly
> more comfortable when they try to switch.  (Not that they switch very
> often.  Most of them stick with tcsh/csh forever.  Alas.)
>

​So, what you are saying is the only purpose for the .bash_login file was
to provide comfort to csh users. Seems like an odd reason. Also, unlike the
.profile file relative to the Bourne and Korn shells, the .bash_login file
cannot be used in any capacity by csh, right? Does it follow then that
anything put into the .bash_login file could be put into either the
.bash_profile or the .profile files and it would make no difference? If all
this is the case, then the .bash_login file is truly obsolete, right?


> Don't worry so much about weird historical crap.  Just move forward.
>

​I enjoy the history. Also, I'm not particularly good at memorizing things
without understanding the logic and context. ​


> And stop reading printed books on this topic -- they're all rubbish.
>

​Haha, some of what the book says may be in error, but I've found much of
it enriching and it has filled in some gaps. I use a variety of sources,
but each provides only part of the picture, so I have to take what I can
get​. =)