MacOS - update PATH variable

22 Apr 2017

Update $PATH for single user

To update $PATH variable for single user you just have to add one line to ~/.bash_profile file (for example lets add bin dir of PostgreSQL):

export PATH=$PATH:/Library/PostgreSQL/9.6/bin

Restart terminal and check if it has worked:

$ echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/Users/sergpank/bin:/Library/PostgreSQL/9.6/bin
$ which psql
/Library/PostgreSQL/9.6/bin/psql
$ psql --version
psql (PostgreSQL) 9.6.2

Update $PATH for all users

To update $PATH variable for all system users, you have to edit /etc/paths file.

Lets add PostgreSQL to PATH again:

$ sudo vi /etc/paths
.
.
and simply add one more line at the end of the file:
/Library/PostgreSQL/9.6/bin
.
.
[ESC]:wq
.
.
$ cat /etc/paths
/usr/local/bin
/usr/bin
/bin
/usr/sbin
/sbin
/Library/PostgreSQL/9.6/bin

Now restart terminal and check that $PATH variable is modified.

Inspiration nixCraft: Mac OS X: Set / Change $PATH Variable