proposal: add "$PATH" to any "SET PATH" command witin ALL system scripts/configuration files

[André Verwijs]

proposal: add  "$PATH" to any "SET PATH" command witin ALL system scripts/configuration files
to make sure a PATH set by (end)user does not get replaced or at least included...

Example:  (/etc/csh.login)  
change: 
if ( ! ${?PATH} ) then
        if ( $uid == 0 ) then
    	setenv PATH "/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
        else
    	setenv PATH "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin"
        endif
to:
if ( ! ${?PATH} ) then
        if ( $uid == 0 ) then
    	setenv PATH "$PATH:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
        else
    	setenv PATH "$PATH:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin"
        endif

[Richard W.M. Jones]

On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 08:16:55AM -0000, André Verwijs wrote:
> proposal: add  "$PATH" to any "SET PATH" command witin ALL system scripts/configuration files
> to make sure a PATH set by (end)user does not get replaced or at least included...

Before coming up with a "solution", what actual bug are you
experiencing?  Describe the steps required to reproduce it.

Rich.

[Peter Pentchev]

On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 08:16:55AM -0000, André Verwijs wrote:
> proposal: add  "$PATH" to any "SET PATH" command witin ALL system scripts/configuration files
> to make sure a PATH set by (end)user does not get replaced or at least included...
>
> Example:  (/etc/csh.login)  
> change: 
> if ( ! ${?PATH} ) then
>         if ( $uid == 0 ) then
>    	setenv PATH "/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
>         else
>    	setenv PATH "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin"
>         endif
> to:
> if ( ! ${?PATH} ) then
>         if ( $uid == 0 ) then
>    	setenv PATH "$PATH:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
>         else
>    	setenv PATH "$PATH:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin"
>         endif

In addition to Richard's question, what do you think if ( ! ${?PATH} ) means?

G'luck,
Peter