What startup files are read by the shell?
You can customize the behaviour of the shells you use by editing the “startup files” that are read when a shell starts up. These files are often called “dot files” since their names usually start with a dot (.) Note that the per-user “dot files” are looked for in your home folder (designated by ~) and that they don’t usually exist by default – you have to create them by using a text editor (e.g. ‘pico’). Note also that since their names start with a dot, these files are not shown when you do ‘ls’ – you need to use the “-a” option: ‘ls -a’ to see all files. (To list only those files whose names start with a dot, use the command ‘ls -ld .
