Re: Use of SHELL env var by login

[Andrey Repin <anrdaemon@yandex.ru>]

Greetings, Linda Walsh!

> Andrey Repin wrote:
>>> In the absence of /etc/passwd, setting SHELL is the right way to set your login
>>> shell.
>> 
>> One of the right ways, I'd say.
>> If your aim is the integration of both environments, you MAY set variables,
>> but if you then start a login shell, they may be voided by the startup scripts.
>> I would advise using "more other" ways to configure Cygwin, i.e. using SAM DB
>> comment field.
> ---
>         Windows *doesn't* use "SHELL" to set your command line, it uses
> COMSPEC.

Do note I didn't mention any specific variable names.
And I've explicitly outlined exactly the case you are describing in your post
- integration.
If you indeed have "more other" applications (native ports of certain tools,
which still use environment as a go-to reference sources), then by all means,
do what you find best for you.
I do that all the time, too, but I also have Cygwin itself configured to match
the environment I expect to have. Just to avoid issues.

> So setting SHELL won't do MS programs any good.  I set mine for
> the benefit of some non-MS programs that ran windows natively so I could
> have an easier time in some of my own scripting.  The form C:/bin/bash.exe
> was *NOT* set by cygwin prompting me to set it -- since it cygwin wanted a
> windows path it would only have accepted C:\bin\bash.exe.  If it wanted a
> non-windows, pure-posix-like path, it would have complained about referring
> to /c as "C:".  

> It's the unsupported "middle-ground" path that works in 
> win32 and cygwin -- but my cygwin is install @ '/' not /c/ (though they
> end up at the same point)  -- I mention the C: drive primarily for windows
> programs (if they are on another drive, the path /bin/bash.exe is processed
> as being on the "current drive", so in program like the _windows_ 
> _versions_ of 'vim/gvim', that "cd" to the same directory as the file you are
> editing, also end up changing drive letters (a network drive in my setup)
> where /bin/bash doesn't work (as /bin/bash would only work when drive 'C' is
> current).  You *can* set COMSPEC to something other than "cmd.exe", but I 
> would not -- since some windows program depend on COMSPEC to be cmd.exe ( :-( ).

> Setting SHELL will have no effect on Microsoft windows program -- it may
> on some non-MS programs running on windows, but i've not found it provided
> sufficient benefit for the troubles.  





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-- 
With best regards,
Andrey Repin
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 19:39:05

Sorry for my terrible english...


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