/etc/paths in OS X and other Unices Is `/etc/paths` read by **every shell** that I run in OS X? For example, if I use zsh, will it parse `/etc/path` to populate `$PATH`? What exactly is the sequence that OS X follows...--prophetes.ai

/etc/paths in OS X and other Unices Is `/etc/paths` read by every shell that I run in OS X? For example, if I use zsh, will it parse `/etc/path` to populate `$PATH`? What exactly is the sequence that OS X follows to populate `$PATH`? Does it do it differently than other Unices?

The OSX devs have implemented their own way of setting up the $PATH which is different from all other Unices as far as I know. They use a program called `path_helper` which will read `/etc/paths` and the files in `/etc/path.d` and modify the user's default `$PATH` accordingly.

According to this, the `$PATH` is only set this way for login shells. This is probably why iTerminal starts login shells by default (I've always wondered why they chose that).

According to the same source, `path_helper` is run from `/etc/profile` and `/etc/csh.login` which should affect

* `bash` login shells
* `csh` login shells
* `zsh` login shells (should read `/etc/profile`)
* all other shells that source `/etc/profile` which should be most login shells.

/etc/paths in OS X and other Unices Is `/etc/paths` read by **every shell** that I run in OS X? For example, if I use zsh, will it parse `/etc/path` to populate `$PATH`? What exactly is the sequence that OS X follows to populate `$PATH`? Does it do it differently than other Unices?

/etc/paths in OS X and other Unices Is `/etc/paths` read by every shell that I run in OS X? For example, if I use zsh, will it parse `/etc/path` to populate `$PATH`? What exactly is the sequence that OS X follows to populate `$PATH`? Does it do it differently than other Unices?