Subject: Creating an environment variable on linux

My system is Linux Fedora Core 1. The shell scripts used here are bash ones (not sh, nore csh). I want to create an new environment variable. It is easy: there is a command!!

#export PATH=”/usr/local/ActiveTcl/bin:$PATH”

I tape on my console:
#echo $PATH
I got the expected result. BUT, when I close the console window, the value of the environment variable is to its initial value. In fact, that directory “/usr/local/ActiveTcl/bin” is no longer here, as if I never tape the command #export PATH=”/usr/local/ActiveTcl/bin:$PATH”.
So, I have to tape it many times I need it.

Can use the .bash_profile file to create an new environment variable???
Where can declare new environment variables?

Please help me...

Yes, you can use .bash_profile to add new things to your environment.

I did what you told me, but the result is still the same. I wrote in .bash_profile file these lines:
PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/ActiveTcl/bin
Export PATH

Can you tell me how to create a new one? Forget now the PATH environment variable!! Let’s say TRIAL_VAR. I wrote in .bash_profile file these lines:
TRIAL_VAR =/usr/local/ActiveTcl/bin
Export TRIAL_VAR

Then, in the console I tape:
# echo $TRIAL_VAR
I got no thing… This means that TRIAL_VAR isn’t declared yet.
To fix the ideas, the USER environment variable is not declared in .bash_profile file. Nevertheless, when I tape:
# echo $USER
I got “root”.

CONCLUSION, variable declarations should not be done in .bash_profile file!!!!
Where? I don’t know…
Please help me…

Use 'export' instead of 'Export' and it should work.

Testing it...