Open System Services Management and Operations Guide (G06.30+, H06.08+, J06.03+)

Customizing the OSS Shell
You can customize the OSS shell by providing a custom default .profile file for your users,
setting up the /etc/profile file to meet your needs, and using the localization features in both
of these files.
Setting Up a Default .profile File
Each user’s environment can be set up by means of a .profile file. This file is executed
automatically every time a user logs in. Although a .profile file is not essential, it can make
use of the OSS environment easier.
A default .profile file provides your users with a basic environment (beyond that of the /etc/
profile file) that they can then alter to suit their needs. To set up a default .profile file for
your users, create the file in a convenient administrative directory with an OSS text editor.
The content appropriate in a .profile file can depend on the needs of the user groups to which
a user ID belongs. Some generally useful commands to add to this file are:
export PATH=default.user.path #Replace with a default path
#
#
#You can add command shortcuts, such as:
#
alias m=more
alias h=history
#
#
# You can provide expected commands that are not supported
# by the OSS environment:
#
alias logout=exit
As part of adding a new user to the system, copy the default .profile file to the user’s initial
working directory.
Setting Up an /etc/profile File
The /etc/profile file is similar to the .profile file, but it applies to the shell and, therefore,
to all users of the shell rather than to one user. The /etc/profile file is run every time a user
logs in to the shell, and it is owned by the super ID.
This subsection describes how to set up an /etc/profile file to maximize user convenience
and improve security. It also describes how to use the file as a substitute for the UNIX motd (message
of the day) command.
Example 27 shows the /etc/profile.sample file that HP provides. You might want to copy
this file to /etc/profile and use it as your system /etc/profile file. (Beginning with RVU
G06.14, if your system was ordered preconfigured or your initial OSS configuration was performed
using the OSSSETUP utility, this copy was made automatically.)
236 Managing With the Shell