OK so I guess /root/.bash_profile wouldn't be read by a script generated login shell that feeds "su - -c mc" to the -e option of a "konsole" command, since it's not considered an "interactive" login... Which explains why the conditional PATH command I routinely put in my .bash_profile scripts (not in .bashrc to prevent it being appended multiple times): if [ -d ~/bin ] ; then PATH="${PATH}":~/bin fi doesn't add "/root/bin" to the default path of the resulting "root" mc session in the resulting konsole window, like it does with a console root login... IE: /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/bin/core_perl:/root/bin But since even a generic user's default system PATH variable includes the "sbin" directories... IE: /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/bin/core_perl Why would the root mc shell resulting from the scripted "su - -c mc" wind up with a PATH variable containing only: /usr/ucb:/bin:/usr/bin:/etc ??? I know I can fix this by defining root's path in root's .bashrc, but I'd have to give up on conditionally adding ~/bin in .bash_profile as every subshell would overwrite it with the .bashrc assignment... Suggestions anyone??? -- | ~^~ ~^~ | <?> <?> Joe (theWordy) Philbrook | ^ J(tWdy)P | \___/ <<jtwdyp@ttlc.net>>