Setting PATH environment variable in OSX permanently

I have read several answers on how to set environmental variables on OSX as permanently.

First, I tried this, How to permanently set $PATH on Linux/Unix? but I had an error message saying no such file and directory, so I thought I could try ~/.bash_profile instead of ~/.profile but it did not work.

Second, I found this solution How to set the $PATH as used by applications in os x , which advices to make changes in

~/.MacOSX/environment.plist

but again I had no such file and directory error.

I need a way to set these variables such that it won't require to set them again and again each time I open a new terminal session.

11 Answers

You have to add it to /etc/paths.

Reference (which works for me) : Here

I've found that there are some files that may affect the $PATH variable in macOS (works for me, 10.11 El Capitan), listed below:

1. As the top voted answer said, vi /etc/paths, which is recommended from my point of view.

2. Also don't forget the /etc/paths.d directory, which contains files may affect the $PATH variable, set the git and mono-command path in my case. You can ls -l /etc/paths.d to list items and rm /etc/paths.d/path_you_dislike to remove items.

3. If you're using a "bash" environment (the default Terminal.app, for example), you should check out ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bashrc. There may be not that file yet, but these two files have effects on the $PATH.

4. If you're using a "zsh" environment (Oh-My-Zsh, for example), you should check out ~./zshrc instead of ~/.bash* thing.

And don't forget to restart all the terminal windows, then echo $PATH. The $PATH string will be PATH_SET_IN_3&4:PATH_SET_IN_1:PATH_SET_IN_2.

Noticed that the first two ways (/etc/paths and /etc/path.d) is in / directory which will affect all the accounts in your computer while the last two ways (~/.bash* or ~/.zsh*) is in ~/ directory (aka, /Users/yourusername/) which will only affect your account settings.

Read more: Mac OS X: Set / Change $PATH Variable - nixCraft

For a new path to be added to PATH environment variable in MacOS just create a new file under /etc/paths.d directory and add write path to be set in the file. Restart the terminal. You can check with echo $PATH at the prompt to confirm if the path was added to the environment variable.

For example: to add a new path /usr/local/sbin to the PATH variable:

cd /etc/paths.d sudo vi newfile 

Add the path to the newfile and save it.

Restart the terminal and type echo $PATH to confirm

You can open any of the following files:

/etc/profile ~/.bash_profile ~/.bash_login (if .bash_profile does not exist) ~/.profile (if .bash_login does not exist) 

And add:

export PATH="$PATH:your/new/path/here" 

You could also add this

if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then . ~/.bashrc fi 

to ~/.bash_profile, then create ~/.bashrc where you can just add more paths to PATH. An example with .

export PATH=$PATH:. 

If you are using zsh do the following.

1. Open .zshrc file nano $HOME/.zshrc

2. You will see the commented $PATH variable here

   # If you come from bash you might have to change your $PATH.
# export PATH=$HOME/bin:/usr/local/...

3. Remove the comment symbol(#) and append your new path using a separator(:) like this.

export PATH=$HOME/bin:/usr/local/bin:/Users/ebin/Documents/Softwares/mongoDB/bin:$PATH

4. Activate the change source $HOME/.zshrc

You're done !!!

sudo nano /etc/paths 

now find the path of command i am giving an example of setting path for flutter.

/Users/username/development/flutter/bin 

now cntrol+x and then y . reopen the terminal and check.

launchctl setenv environmentvariablename environmentvariablevalue 

or

launchctl setenv environmentvariablename `command that will generate value` 

use proper ` and remember to restart application or terminal for the environment variable to take effect.

you can check environment variable by printenv command.

note : environment variable named path is already set by someone else so we are not appending anything to that path at all here.

shows all hidden files like .bash_profile and .zshrc $ ls -a

Starting with macOS Catalina, mac uses zsh instead of bash. so by default mac uses zsh. Check which shell running:

$ echo $SHELL /usr/zsh 

$ cd $HOME $ open -e .zshrc 

or if using vim

$ vi .zshrc 

Then add it like this

$ export my_var="/path/where/it/exists" $ export PATH=$PATH:/$my_var/bin 

For example: if installed app named: myapp in /Applications Then

export MYAPP_HOME=/Applications/myapp export PATH=$PATH:$MYAPP_HOME/bin 

or shortcut

export PATH=${PATH}:/Applications/myapp/bin 

TADA you set for life !!! Thank me later

19 October 2021.

Confirming iplus26's answer with one correction.

Test environment

OS: macOS 11.6 (Big Sur) x86_64

Shell: zsh 5.8

Below is the order in which the $PATH environment variable is modified:

1. each line in etc/paths text file gets appended
2. each line in each text file inside etc/paths.d directory gets appended
3. finally, the $PATH is further modified in ~/.zshrc

iplus26's answer stated "when (you run) echo $PATH, The $PATH string will be PATH_SET_IN_3&4:PATH_SET_IN_1:PATH_SET_IN_2" but this isn't always the case. It will have to depend on what the script is doing inside .zshrc. E.g. If we do something like

PATH="/new/path:${PATH}" 

then, the new path will be in the beginning of the path list. However, if we do something like

PATH="${PATH}:/new/path" 

then, the new path will be appended at the end of the path list.

Of course, you'll have to make sure you export the modified path in the ~/.zshrc file.

export PATH=$PATH 

One handy command you could use to "pretty print" your path list is

print -l $path 

This will print each path on a new line for better readability. Note $path is like $PATH except it's delimited by a single space, instead of a colon, :.

Hopefully this can further clarify for newcomers to this thread.

For setting up path in Mac two methods can be followed.

1. Creating a file for variable name and paste the path there under /etc/paths.d and source the file to profile_bashrc.

2. Export path variable in ~/.profile_bashrc as

   export VARIABLE_NAME = $(PATH_VALUE)

AND source the the path. Its simple and stable.

You can set any path variable by Mac terminal or in linux also.