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Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 18:01:33 +0200
From: lada@ws6303.gud.siemens.at (marino.ladavac@siemens.at)
Message-Id: <199709171601.SAA05671@ws6423.gud.siemens.at>
To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG, mike@BLACKJAC.mw.mediaone.netDEST
Subject: Re: path statements
Cc: mike@BLACKJAC.mw.mediaone.net
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> From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Sep 17 17:27:34 MET 1997
> Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 11:00:45 -0400 (EDT)
> From: User Mike <mike@BLACKJAC.mw.mediaone.netDEST>
> To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
> Subject: path statements
> X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
> 
> i tried to alter my path with the .login and .profile files in my directory. 
by for some reason i'm not getting anything now. i had to type /usr/bin/mail in 
order to even get to the mail directory -- please help! sorry if it's a stupid 
question.
> mike webbe
> 

what you did was something like:

PATH=/path/to/my/binaries
export PATH

What you should have done is:

PATH=$PATH:/path/to/my/binaries
export PATH

Please note that the former discards the standard paths provided by the system,
whereas the latter does not--in effect, the latter extends the PATH variable.

Despair not, it happens to everyone, even after years of experience.

/Marino

BTW, your reply address is probably wrong.  The DEST after the .net is
most likely a typo.