Yes that is correct: case 1: if $HOME/.profile is a regular file in $HOME, then $HOME/bin and $HOME/.local/bin are in PATH as expected.
case 2: If $HOME/.profile is a symlink to $HOME/Setup/shell/.profile (with same content as in case 1), then $HOME/bin and $HOME/.local/bin are NOT in PATH as expected On Thu 14 May 2026 at 07:33, <[email protected]> wrote: > On Thu, May 14, 2026 at 07:03:07AM +0200, Brieuc Desoutter wrote: > > TL/DR: On Trixie with Gnome, right after login with… > > - default .profile -> ~/bin and ~/.local/bin in PATH > > - .profile as a symlink to the default .profile located in different > > directory -> no ~/bin or ~/.local/bin in PATH > > > > Why? > > > > > > Hi, > > > > I am running Trixie with Gnome and I am trying to manage my config and > dot > > files with GNU stow. So I have Setup/ repo (my stow directory) with a > > shell/ package directory which contains my .bashrc and my .profile files. > > The .profile is the same as in /etc/skel (default one). > > > > When I stow the shell package in my $HOME, it creates a symlink > ~/.profile > > pointing to $HOME/Setup/shell/.profile. > > > > The issue is that when I logout and log back in, my PATH does not contain > > $HOME/bin and $HOME/.local/bin as it should. > > > > It is as if the symlinked .profile wasn’t sourced. > > > > default .profile file in ~ ~/bin and ~/.local/bin in PATH. > > .profile as a symlink to origin > > Question: is it by design? Eg only source a regular file .profile at > login > > (not symlink) > > Hi, > > I couldn't understand from your mail: if you set up .profile as a regular > file in your $HOME everything works as expected? I'd first double-check > that, but perhaps I misread you. > > Then I'd look into whether the login shell can read your Stow location. > Perhaps by starting a login shell with strace. > > Cheers > -- > t >
