Customizing the User Environment

The operating system provides various commands and initialization files that enable you to customize the behavior and the appearance of your user environment.

You can also customize some of the default resources of the applications you use on your system. Defaults are initiated by the program at startup. When you change the defaults, you must exit and then restart the program for the new defaults take effect.

For information about customizing the behavior and appearance of the Common Desktop Environment, see theCommon Desktop Environment 1.0: Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide.

This chapter discusses the following:

• System Startup Files Overview
  • /etc/profile File
  • /etc/environment File
  • .profile File
  • .env File
• AIXwindows Startup Files Overview
  • .xinitrc File
  • .Xdefaults File
  • .mwmrc File
• Customization Procedures
  • Exporting Shell Variables (export Shell Command)
  • Changing the Display's Font (chfont Command)
  • Changing Control Keys (stty Command)
  • Changing Your System Prompt
• Summary for User Environment Customization