Simple Shell Script To Add To Default Path?

Question

I know that this question will at first appear idiotic,but here goes.
I'm logged into a Solaris 9 shell as 'root'. I echo $PATH and see a couple of default paths. I want to add to that PATH - this can easily be done from the command line as follows:
PATH=$PATH:/some/other/path
export PATH
So, naturally, I'd like to throw this into a simple script, and when I do so, and run the script called 'hello'. So, I run 'hello' as follows:
ksh hello (I'm a kshell)
Result: no errors. Then, I check my PATH as follows:
echo $PATH
And nothing changes, it's still the same PATH!
Can anyone tell me how to do this?
Appreciate your response.
dedham_ma_man

Answer 1

The question shows you don't really understand how shells work.
The path is part of the environment of your current shell.
Any command you "execute" is run in a new process. And any changes made to the environment of that process cannot effect the environment of the parent process (ie your shell).
So by saying "ksh hello" your starting a new shell and changing the path in that shell. But when that shells exits and your back in the original shell, of course nothing has changed.
So the answer is that what you have to do is not "run" the script. But persuade your current shell to execute in its own context.
In a C shell that would be done by the "source" command. And in a bourne shell, its the "." command. But I'm not sure how you do it in korn shell.