# `/etc/profile`

`/etc/profile` is the system-wide `.profile` file for the Bourne shell and Bourne compatible shells

- On ubuntu, the `PATH` environment variable is being set in this file, then `/etc/bash.bashrc` and every readable files in `/etc/profile.d` will be loaded.
- On mac OS, `/usr/libexec/path_helper` is beeing exectued for setting the `$PATH` environment variable, then `/etc/bashrc` and later on terminal specific configuration `/etc/bashrc_${TERM_PROGRAM}` will be loaded


## macOS

```bash
# System-wide .profile for sh(1)

if [ -x /usr/libexec/path_helper ]; then
    eval `/usr/libexec/path_helper -s`
fi

if [ "${BASH-no}" != "no" ]; then
    [ -r /etc/bashrc ] && . /etc/bashrc
fi
```

macOS delivers an utility `/usr/libexec/path_helper` for printing and exporting system wide PATH configured in `/etc`

>    PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:~/.local/bin:/opt/X11/bin"; export PATH;

A simulated behavior can be

```bash
#!/bin/bash -

declare -a path_dirs

while read -r dir ; do
    if [ "${#path_dirs[@]}" == "0" ]; then
        path_dirs=${dir}
    else
        path_dirs+=":${dir}"
    fi
done <<(/bin/cat /etc/paths $(find /etc/paths.d -type f -iname "*[^~]") 2> /dev/null)

echo "PATH=\"${path_dirs[@]}\"; export PATH;"

# EOF
```