I would like to add these variable to all shell environments all the time. ################ # Postgresql ################ PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/bin:$PATH export PATH # ?? do I need all these 'export's ? MANPATH=/usr/local/pgsql/man:$MANPATH export MANPATH PGDATA=/usr/local/pgsql/data export PGDATA # END Postgres section ###################### /etc/profile advises: ################################### # /etc/profile for SuSE Linux # # PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE /etc/profile. There are chances that your changes # will be lost during system upgrades. Instead use /etc/profile.local for # your local settings, favourite global aliases, VISUAL and EDITOR # variables, etc ... ################################### Ahh! Therefore I create /etc/profile.local and add the lines I want to it. Then I reboot. Then nothing happens. Suspicion: Either I need to find the script that reads and executes /etc/profile and have it also execute /etc/profile.local OR have /etc/profile "execute" /etc/profile.local.