.bash_profile location

Question

I installed Oracle Linux 5.7. I need to view the .bash_profile file or whatever file Oracle Linux uses to store the environment variables for a user. I am working with the "oracle" user whose home directory is /home/oracle.
Connected as "oracle" I issued the "env" command and many variables are shown to have been set already.
I issue the export command to set the PATH variable and the changes are shown when I issue the "env" command.
So everything seems to be working but I don't find where all those settings are stored. I went to the /home/oracle directory and I only saw a .bash_history file. So I created a new file named .bash_profile, but the variables are not stored there when I issue the export command. (the file I created was before I noticed that variables are already being set somewhere else - on a file I did not find).
So where are they ??? The only thing I need to know is how to locate the file the system is using right now to store the environment variables, I supposed it has to be located under the $home directory for the user but it seems it is not that way. Anybody knows something about this ??
The /etc/profile file I understand is a general file for global settings, so it's not what I'm looking for as far as I know.
here's the output of the env command issued connected as "oracle" ... I need to know on what file they are stored.
bash-3.2$ env
SSH_AGENT_PID=8782
HOSTNAME=Oracle.Linux
DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID=
TERM=xterm
SHELL=/bin/bash
HISTSIZE=1000
KDE_NO_IPV6=1
GTK_RC_FILES=/etc/gtk/gtkrc:/home/oracle/.gtkrc-1.2-gnome2
WINDOWID=25165905
QTDIR=/usr/lib/qt-3.3
QTINC=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/include
USER=oracle
LS_COLORS=
GNOME_KEYRING_SOCKET=/tmp/keyring-EbBsIZ/socket
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/ssh-OcrBnl8746/agent.8746
KDEDIR=/usr
SESSION_MANAGER=local/Oracle.Linux:/tmp/.ICE-unix/8746
USERNAME=oracle
MAIL=/var/spool/mail/oracle
PATH=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/bin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin
DESKTOP_SESSION=default
GDM_XSERVER_LOCATION=local
INPUTRC=/etc/inputrc
PWD=/home/oracle
XMODIFIERS=@im=none
KDE_IS_PRELINKED=1
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
GDMSESSION=default
SSH_ASKPASS=/usr/libexec/openssh/gnome-ssh-askpass
SHLVL=2
HOME=/home/oracle
GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID=Default
LOGNAME=oracle
QTLIB=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/lib
CVS_RSH=ssh
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:abstract=/tmp/dbus-dgt3DUIWif,guid=bb5dcea335860598b6a290004f42d4f7
LESSOPEN=|/usr/bin/lesspipe.sh %s
DISPLAY=:0.0
G_BROKEN_FILENAMES=1
COLORTERM=gnome-terminal
XAUTHORITY=/tmp/.gdmR05GAW
_=/usr/bin/env
bash-3.2$

Answer 1

GabyPR wrote:
I installed Oracle Linux 5.7. I need to view the .bash_profile file or whatever file Oracle Linux uses to store the environment variables for a user. I am working with the "oracle" user whose home directory is /home/oracle.
Connected as "oracle" I issued the "env" command and many variables are shown to have been set already.
I issue the export command to set the PATH variable and the changes are shown when I issue the "env" command.
So everything seems to be working but I don't find where all those settings are stored. I went to the /home/oracle directory and I only saw a .bash_history file. So I created a new file named .bash_profile, but the variables are not stored there when I issue the export command. (the file I created was before I noticed that variables are already being set somewhere else - on a file I did not find).
They aren't 'stored' anywhere. Well, they are stored in memory, for the session in which the 'export' command was executed. The .profile (or .bash_profile) is executed by the OS when the owning user first logs on. It is not (as your question seems to imply) updated when you execute an 'export' command. You need open the .profile and put those export commands into the file, so that they get executed when you log on.
So where are they ??? The only thing I need to know is how to locate the file the system is using right now to store the environment variables, I supposed it has to be located under the $home directory for the user but it seems it is not that way. Anybody knows something about this ??
The /etc/profile file I understand is a general file for global settings, so it's not what I'm looking for as far as I know.
here's the output of the env command issued connected as "oracle" ... I need to know on what file they are stored.
bash-3.2$ env
SSH_AGENT_PID=8782
HOSTNAME=Oracle.Linux
DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID=
TERM=xterm
SHELL=/bin/bash
HISTSIZE=1000
KDE_NO_IPV6=1
GTK_RC_FILES=/etc/gtk/gtkrc:/home/oracle/.gtkrc-1.2-gnome2
WINDOWID=25165905
QTDIR=/usr/lib/qt-3.3
QTINC=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/include
USER=oracle
LS_COLORS=
GNOME_KEYRING_SOCKET=/tmp/keyring-EbBsIZ/socket
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/ssh-OcrBnl8746/agent.8746
KDEDIR=/usr
SESSION_MANAGER=local/Oracle.Linux:/tmp/.ICE-unix/8746
USERNAME=oracle
MAIL=/var/spool/mail/oracle
PATH=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/bin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin
DESKTOP_SESSION=default
GDM_XSERVER_LOCATION=local
INPUTRC=/etc/inputrc
PWD=/home/oracle
XMODIFIERS=@im=none
KDE_IS_PRELINKED=1
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
GDMSESSION=default
SSH_ASKPASS=/usr/libexec/openssh/gnome-ssh-askpass
SHLVL=2
HOME=/home/oracle
GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID=Default
LOGNAME=oracle
QTLIB=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/lib
CVS_RSH=ssh
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:abstract=/tmp/dbus-dgt3DUIWif,guid=bb5dcea335860598b6a290004f42d4f7
LESSOPEN=|/usr/bin/lesspipe.sh %s
DISPLAY=:0.0
G_BROKEN_FILENAMES=1
COLORTERM=gnome-terminal
XAUTHORITY=/tmp/.gdmR05GAW
_=/usr/bin/env
bash-3.2$