<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html40/loose.dtd">
<HTML>
<!-- Created on August, 9 2002 by texi2html 1.65 -->
<!--
Written by: Lionel Cons <Lionel.Cons@cern.ch> (original author)
Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org>
Olaf Bachmann <obachman@mathematik.uni-kl.de>
and many others.
Maintained by: Olaf Bachmann <obachman@mathematik.uni-kl.de>
Send bugs and suggestions to <texi2html@mathematik.uni-kl.de>
-->
<HEAD>
<TITLE>zsh: Files</TITLE>
<META NAME="description" CONTENT="zsh: Files">
<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="zsh: Files">
<META NAME="resource-type" CONTENT="document">
<META NAME="distribution" CONTENT="global">
<META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="texi2html 1.65">
</HEAD>
<BODY LANG="en" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0000FF" VLINK="#800080" ALINK="#FF0000">
<A NAME="SEC15"></A>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=1 CELLSPACING=1 BORDER=0>
<TR><TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_3.html#SEC14"> < </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_4.html#SEC16"> > </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_3.html#SEC11"> << </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh.html#SEC_Top"> Up </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_5.html#SEC18"> >> </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh.html#SEC_Top">Top</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_toc.html#SEC_Contents">Contents</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_24.html#SEC195">Index</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_abt.html#SEC_About"> ? </A>]</TD>
</TR></TABLE>
<H1> 4. Files </H1>
<!--docid::SEC15::-->
<P>
<HR SIZE="6">
<A NAME="SEC16"></A>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=1 CELLSPACING=1 BORDER=0>
<TR><TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_4.html#SEC15"> < </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_4.html#SEC17"> > </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_4.html#SEC15"> << </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh.html#SEC_Top"> Up </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_5.html#SEC18"> >> </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh.html#SEC_Top">Top</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_toc.html#SEC_Contents">Contents</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_24.html#SEC195">Index</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_abt.html#SEC_About"> ? </A>]</TD>
</TR></TABLE>
<H2> 4.1 Startup/Shutdown Files </H2>
<!--docid::SEC16::-->
<A NAME="IDX14"></A>
<A NAME="IDX15"></A>
<A NAME="IDX16"></A>
<A NAME="IDX17"></A>
<A NAME="IDX18"></A>
<A NAME="IDX19"></A>
Commands are first read from <TT>/etc/zshenv</TT>; this cannot be overridden.
Subsequent behaviour is modified by the <TT>RCS</TT> and
<TT>GLOBAL_RCS</TT> options; the former affects all startup files, while the
second only affects those in the <TT>/etc</TT> directory. If one of the options
is unset at any point, any subsequent startup file(s) of the corresponding
type will not be read. It is also possible for a file in <TT>$ZDOTDIR</TT> to
re-enable <TT>GLOBAL_RCS</TT>. Both <TT>RCS</TT> and <TT>GLOBAL_RCS</TT> are set by
default.
<P>
Commands are then read from <TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zshenv</TT>.
<A NAME="IDX20"></A>
If the shell is a login shell, commands
are read from <TT>/etc/zprofile</TT> and then <TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zprofile</TT>.
Then, if the shell is interactive,
commands are read from <TT>/etc/zshrc</TT> and then <TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zshrc</TT>.
Finally, if the shell is a login shell, <TT>/etc/zlogin</TT> and
<TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zlogin</TT> are read.
</P>
<P>
When a login shell exits, the files <TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zlogout</TT> and then
<TT>/etc/zlogout</TT> are read. This happens with either an explicit exit
via the <TT>exit</TT> or <TT>logout</TT> commands, or an implicit exit by reading
end-of-file from the terminal. However, if the shell terminates due
to <TT>exec</TT>'ing another process, the logout files are not read.
These are also affected by the <TT>RCS</TT> and <TT>GLOBAL_RCS</TT> options.
Note also that the <TT>RCS</TT> option affects the saving of history files,
i.e. if <TT>RCS</TT> is unset when the shell exits, no history file will be
saved.
</P>
<P>
If <TT>ZDOTDIR</TT> is unset, <TT>HOME</TT> is used instead.
Those files listed above as being in <TT>/etc</TT> may be in another
directory, depending on the installation.
</P>
<P>
As <TT>/etc/zshenv</TT> is run for all instances of zsh, it is important that
it be kept as small as possible. In particular, it is a good idea to
put code that does not need to be run for every single shell behind
a test of the form `<TT>if [[ -o rcs ]]; then ...</TT>' so that it will not
be executed when zsh is invoked with the `<TT>-f</TT>' option.
</P>
<P>
<HR SIZE="6">
<A NAME="SEC17"></A>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=1 CELLSPACING=1 BORDER=0>
<TR><TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_4.html#SEC16"> < </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_5.html#SEC18"> > </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_4.html#SEC15"> << </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh.html#SEC_Top"> Up </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_5.html#SEC18"> >> </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh.html#SEC_Top">Top</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_toc.html#SEC_Contents">Contents</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_24.html#SEC195">Index</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_abt.html#SEC_About"> ? </A>]</TD>
</TR></TABLE>
<H2> 4.2 Files </H2>
<!--docid::SEC17::-->
<A NAME="IDX21"></A>
<DL COMPACT>
<DT><TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zshenv</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zprofile</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zshrc</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zlogin</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>$ZDOTDIR/.zlogout</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>${TMPPREFIX}*</TT> (default is /tmp/zsh*)
<DD><DT><TT>/etc/zshenv</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>/etc/zprofile</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>/etc/zshrc</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>/etc/zlogin</TT>
<DD><DT><TT>/etc/zlogout</TT> (installation-specific - <TT>/etc</TT> is the default)
<DD><DT>
<DD></DL>
<P>
Any of these files may be pre-compiled with the <TT>zcompile</TT> builtin
command (<A HREF="zsh_16.html#SEC82">16. Shell Builtin Commands</A>). If a compiled file exists (named for the original file plus the
<TT>.zwc</TT> extension) and it is newer than the original file, the compiled
file will be used instead.
<A NAME="Shell Grammar"></A>
</P>
<P>
<HR SIZE="6">
<TABLE CELLPADDING=1 CELLSPACING=1 BORDER=0>
<TR><TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_4.html#SEC15"> << </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_5.html#SEC18"> >> </A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT"> <TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh.html#SEC_Top">Top</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_toc.html#SEC_Contents">Contents</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_24.html#SEC195">Index</A>]</TD>
<TD VALIGN="MIDDLE" ALIGN="LEFT">[<A HREF="zsh_abt.html#SEC_About"> ? </A>]</TD>
</TR></TABLE>
<BR>
<FONT SIZE="-1">
This document was generated
by <I>Peter Stephenson</I> on <I>August, 9 2002</I>
using <A HREF="http://www.mathematik.uni-kl.de/~obachman/Texi2html
"><I>texi2html</I></A>
</FONT>
</BODY>
</HTML>
