setting environment variables

[Steve G. Casino]

Hello Gurus

How do i go about changing a global environment variable?

for example:
typing cd fromsteve at the prompt takes me to /opt/fromsteve, I need that to point to /var/opt/fromsteve

A step by step guide would be very helpful for a newbie :-)

[curt larson_1]

are you sure it is
cd fromsteve

environment variables are referenced via a $
so it would be
cd $fromsteve

if there is no $, you might have an alias setup
see what typeset -f returns

[Wilfred Chau_1]

You will have to do it in /etc/profile.

alias something='command'

[Steve G. Casino]

I don't think it is an Alias.

An alias is supposed to be just one work right? Like if i say "fromsteve" it performs the command cd /var/opt/fromsteve.

In this case it's cd fromsteve with no $

[Sanjay Kumar Suri]

Can you find out which cd you are executing with

$whereis cd

sks

[Muthukumar_5]

hai,

what is ll fromsteve saying.

Is it a link to /opt/fromsteve directory?

If so then,

Remove the old link
rm -f fromsteve

Create new link to /var/opt/fromsteve file
ln -s /var/opt/fromsteve fromsteve

If you do cd fromsteve

It will access all files and directories on /var/opt/fromsteve directory.

Else,

alias

what is it saying.?

Any alias are there?

[Bharat Katkar]

Yes,
As muthukumar said, i also doubt the same.
You must be having a soft link to the directory /opt/fromsteve which was created as follows:

# ln -s /opt/fromsteve fromsteve

Now that you want to point it to /var/opt/fromsteve rerun the following command:

# unlink fromsteve
# ln -s /var/opt/fromsteve fromsteve

Hope this is the situation.
Regards,

[Steve G. Casino]

i found no links and nothing in the aliases...

but i did something: I deleted the old directory /opt/fromsteve

when i do a "cd fromsteve" i now get directed to /var/opt/fromsteve

[Muthukumar_5 · Accepted solution]

I hope, I got it now,

what is your environment variable CDPATH saying??

echo $CDPATH

It will relocate the files / directories under their path.

Test:

[/] # CDPATH=/opt/
[/] # cd fromsteve

It will go to /opt/fromsteve
where [/] shows PWD

[/] # CDPATH=/var/opt/
[/] # export $CDPATH
[/] # cd fromsteve
/var/opt/fromsteve
[/var/opt/fromsteve] #

It will go to /var/opt/fromsteve

HTH.

Regards
Muthu