Configuring the PATH System Variable

Contributors: santaimpersonator

Mac OSX and Linux Based Systems

On Mac OSX and linux based systems, users can display the paths for the $PATH system variable by entering echo $PATH into the terminal.

Note: The commands below use the GNU nano text editor. Feel free to use another text editor of your choice (such as vi for Vim).

To modify the variable:

Open up Terminal and run the following command to edit the paths file: sudo nano <file path location>
- There are several locations where users might be able to modify the $PATH system variable:
  - /etc/paths (Mac OSX - Mountain Lion)
  - /usr/bin
  - /usr/local/bin
  - /usr/local/sbin
  - /usr/sbin
  - ~/.bash_profile
  - ~/.bashrc
  - ~/.profile
Enter the super user (administrative) password, if prompted.
Enter the modifications for the path you wish to add.
- The entry field is usually near the bottom of the file.
Hit Ctrl+X to quit.
At the input prompt, send Y and hit Enter or Return to save the modified buffer.

Displaying paths of $PATH variable and accessing the ~/.profile file for modifications. (Click to enlarge)

That’s it! To verify the changes, in a terminal window, type: echo $PATH

Note: Another common method is to use the export command in the terminal.

Example: export PATH=$PATH:<file path to be added>