Updating the PATH Variable in the Shell
Introduction
The PATH
environment variable is a critical component in Unix-like operating systems, including Linux and macOS. It helps the shell identify where to find executable files when commands are entered. Updating the PATH
variable allows users to run software from any directory without specifying the full path to its executable.
Example: Adding the Flutter SDK to the PATH
Consider you have installed the Flutter SDK to ~/Documents/development/flutter
. To use the Flutter commands from anywhere in your terminal, you need to add the Flutter SDK's bin
directory to your PATH
.
For Bash users, edit ~/.bashrc
.
For Zsh users, edit ~/.zshrc
.
Add the following line at the end of your configuration file:
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/Documents/development/flutter/bin"
Apply the changes
source ~/.bashrc # If using Bash
source ~/.zshrc # If using Zsh
Verify the Update
echo $PATH