ksh ENV variable

[Johan Bergström]

Hello.

Can I somehow source more than one file in the ENV variable in ksh ?

Usually it's set to $HOME/.kshrc but I'd like to source for example a global /etc/kshrc AND then $HOME/.kshrc

The problem is that I have several users spread over several machines and they all have their own .kshrc. Now I want to add some aliases to their shell, but I don't want to edit every users $HOME/.kshrc

If I set the aliases in /etc/profile they are there as they should in the login shell, but if I change shell, or run a script, they won't be in the new shell that's executed, that's why I think I need to set them in a global kshrc aswell.

[Dennis Handly]

>Can I somehow source more than one file in the ENV variable in ksh?

No. The best you can do is source a new file then source /etc/kshrc AND then $HOME/.kshrc.

Anyway, why do you have any control over ENV? I reset it in my .profile, why would you expect your users to do anything different?

>that's why I think I need to set them in a global kshrc as well.

That's correct. But if you are offering a service with these aliases, your users should be glad to change their .kshrc files and source your new file.

Of course if these aliases are part of a management stick, I can see why they wouldn't. ;-)

[Rasheed Tamton]

Hello,

Did you check the global function feature of ksh. May be it can be an option for you in this case.

[Peter Nikitka]

Hi,

it depends on the way, where $ENV is set:
If you do that in /etc/profile, you have won:
Modify the setting to:
ENV=/usr/local/etc/ksh.aliases
export ENV

and at the end of /usr/local/etc/ksh.aliases
add something like:

if alias setglobalaliases 2>/dev/null
then :
elif [ -s ~/.kshrc ]
then . ~/.kshrc
fi

When the above condition is not met, you'll have to do it the other way round:
Add an anchor - similar to the above solution - to every .kshrc (you have to change this for every existing user only once):

if alias setglobalaliases 2>/dev/null
then :
elif [ -s /usr/local/etc/ksh.aliases ]
then . /usr/local/etc/ksh.aliases
fi


In both cases, add into your global aliases-file the anchor-alias and your other stuff:
cat /usr/local/etc/ksh.aliases
alias setglobalaliases=true
alias lspr='lpstat -o$PRINTER'
...


mfG Peter

[Dennis Handly]

Actually ENV should be this complicated string and then you set FILE or some other variable to your actual file:
export ENV='${FILE[(_$-=1)+(_=0)-(_$-!=_${-%%*i*})]}'

This doesn't set aliases for scripts, only interactive shells.

[Johan Bergström]

Dennis, that only checks if the shell is interactive or not.

Anyway, I solved my problem without using aliases at all, fiddeling with the PATH variable instead.

Thanks for your help tho.

[Johan Bergström]

Solved the problem elsewhere, didn't use aliases or the ENV variable at all.

[Dennis Handly]

>That only checks if the shell is interactive or not.

Exactly, if you aren't interactive, you shouldn't be using aliases, etc. It makes your scripts/subshells start faster.