Files that establish your environment

When you log in to your account, the system uses several files in your home directory to set up your computing environment. These files establish your terminal settings (how text is displayed), your default printer (the printer to which your files will print) and other important settings.

Because your account's default preferences are saved in editable files, you can customize your account's settings using any text editor (Nedit, TED, Pico).

Upon logging in, your Unix environment is established with the following files:

.login      Runs the default startup instructions.
            Do not edit this file.


.mylogin    This file can contain your non X-Windows 
            custom environment settings and instructions
            for actions that you want to occur when you log
            in from a modem.


.cshrc      Establishes the necessary global Unix 
            shell settings.  Do not edit this file.


.mycshrc    This file can contain your custom Unix shell
            settings. This file is read every time you open
            a new Xterm window. Place setenv,set,and alias
            commands in this file.

.xsession   This file contains commands which call the window
            manager. It's possible that you may not have 
            one of these files in your account.

.Xstartup   Contains your X-Window startup commands. Place
            commands which start X-applications in this file,
            remembering to place an ampersand (&) after them
            to make them run in the background. This file is  
            not read when you log in from a modem.

.Xdefaults  This file contains commands to change the
            appearance of X windows and icons (like color
            and size). It is not run when logging in from
            a modem.

When you log in to your account, the system first executes the ".login" file in your home directory and then executes your ".mylogin" file, if it exists. The system then follows the instructions in the ".cshrc" file in your home directory and then the instructions in your ".mycshrc" file, if it exists.

In Unix, the last command to be run takes precedence. So, if a line in your ".mylogin" file assigns a command alias, and then a line in your ".mycshrc" file assigns an alias with the same name, the last alias assigned is the one that actually works.

Content last updated May, 2004, by Daniel

Page last modified July 6, 2005 by cawalker