Comments on: OS X: Easily edit hidden configuration files with TextEdit

By: Aron Grinshtein

Aron Grinshtein — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:43:31 +0000

Thanks I was trying to set up RoR using Dan Benjamins install and you helped me figure out how to find the .profile file. Thanks.

By: Quinn McHenry

Quinn McHenry — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:44:50 +0000

Try looking for .bash_profile in your home directory (/Users/yourusername/.bash_profile). In my Leopard install, .bash_profile is used. I don't have a Tiger (version 10.4) installation around to check, but I suspect this may have changed in Leopard. I have both files in my home directory, but I checked and only .bash_profile is used when a shell starts.

It isn't a problem if the file doesn't exist. You can create the file in your home directory and it will work. To make sure that it is working, you can place a temporary echo command in the file, something like:

echo "running .bash_profile!"

When you run the Terminal app to start a shell, you should see that text printed out.

By: fin13

fin13 — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:33:28 +0000

Thanks for this! This is really helpful for newbies that are interested in learning new things.
I do have a question. I can't find a .profile file in my user. I am running Leopard and I have looked every where for the file. I have managed to look at all the hidden files but no luck.

Any suggestions

By: davak

davak — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:37:28 +0000

/middle finger.