TA Resources

Changing initialization files

There are a number of files that are processed automatically when certain events happen. These are the startup, or initialization files. They all begin with a period, making them hidden, and therefore not visible unless you add the ‘-a’ switch to ls. The common files on this system are in the accordion sections below.

Note:

When changing startup files, it is a good idea to back up the file you are going to edit, in case you somehow destroy or damage it. For instance, before you were going to edit your .tcshrc file you would type:

mv .tcshrc .tcshrc.bak

This would make a backup copy of your file, so in case the new one had ill effects, you could easily switch back to the old one.

To edit a startup files, use any common text editor.

Each of these files has a default copy somewhere in the system. If you have your own file, this default file may be skipped, or it might be processed in addition to your personal file.

Setting up an initial ".tcshrc" file

The .tcshrc (pronounced dot-t-c-s-h-r-c) file tells the shell (assuming you are using the tcsh shell environment all) sorts of setup parameters, most important of which are where to find certain programs. For some unknown reason, new accounts are not setup with any such file so we provide the following as a good starting point.

Directions: Expand the section below to copy the tcshrc file. Then save it in your home directory as .tcshrc (don’t forget the dot in front). (I.e. save it as ~/.tcshrc)

Finally, log out and log back in again.

Problem with paths?

Cannot start your favorite program or view a postscript file? Here is the solution!

Unix commands: a quick guide

This section offers a quick guide of UNIX commands available on most UNIX systems. Depending on the configuration, some of the commands may be unavailable on your system. All commands work on Sun Solaris operating system version 2.5.1 (also known as SunOS 5.5.1).

The software garden

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