[Coco] Re: Path command wasRe: OS-9 LVL II

[KnudsenMJ at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/20/05 4:53:50 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
goosey at virgo.sdc.org writes:

>I  suppose the proper thing to do would be to add a PATH to env.file
>and  patch shell+ and gshell to look for it there.
>
>So how does OSK  handle this mess?  Proper (UN*X style) path and
>environment, or  something odd?

I believe OSK handles it properly, keeping the ENV vars in RAM.  I  suspect 
these are available only to the Shells, and not to the OS.  There  must be some 
kind of segmentation of ENV symbol tables, to allow for multiple  users.  
Anyway, ENV vars seem to have ben designed into the OSK shell  (which is light 
years beyond the 6809 Shell, though just as far behind the *NIX  shells or even 
Shell+).

>Under UN*X, some sort of loader loads the kernel and jumps to  it.  The
>kernel sets itself up and eventually calls init.   Init forks off
>various shells to process rc files, then hangs around  and runs logins
>on whatever devices.  Off the top of my head, I  can't tell you where
>the default environment variables are  loaded.  Either in one of the RC
>files or  /etc/profile.


I'd say /etc/profile, though as each user logs on, his own home .profile  and 
.shellrc contents are added to the list of ENV variables and values.   Users 
can define any vars they like for their own use.  Sometimes you have  to 
define quite a few (even with just blank values) to get some commercial  software 
packages to run (poor programming).
 
Anyway, if/when the Nitros9 gang gets some spare time, they might consider  a 
proper way to handle env vars, maybe even in the OS' file opening  routines.  
--Mike K.