How do I edit $PATH (.bash_profile) on OS X?

Solution 1:

You have to open that file with a text editor and then save it.

touch ~/.bash_profile; open ~/.bash_profile

It will open the file with TextEdit, paste your things and then save it. If you open it again you'll find your edits.

You can use other editors:

nano ~/.bash_profile
mate ~/.bash_profile
vim ~/.bash_profile

But if you don't know how to use them, it's easier to use the open approach.

Alternatively, you can rely on pbpaste. Copy

export ANDROID_HOME=/<installation location>/android-sdk-macosx
export PATH=${PATH}:$ANDROID_HOME/tools:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools

in the system clipboard and then in a shell run

pbpaste > ~/.bash_profile

Or alternatively you can also use cat

cat > ~/.bash_profile

(now cat waits for input: paste the two export definitions and then hit Ctrl + D).

Solution 2:

A bit more detailed for beginners:

Before you begin with .bash_profile on Mac, please be aware that since macOS Catalina zsh (z shell) is the default shell. Therefore stuff we used to put in the .bash_profile now belongs to the .zshenv or the .zshrc file.

.zshenv .zshrc ? (Found here)

.zshenv: invocations of the shell. Often contains exported variables that should be available to other programs. For example, $PATH.

.zshrc: Sourced in interactive shells only. It should contain commands to set up aliases, functions, options, key bindings, etc.

STEP 1

Make sure the .bash_profile file is existing? (or the .zshenv of course) Remember that the .bash_profile file isn't there by default. You have to create it on your own.

Go into your user folder in finder. The .bash_profile file should be findable there. -> HD/Users/[USERNAME]

Remember: Files with a point at the beginning '.' are hidden by default.

To show hidden files in Mac OS Finder:

Press: Command + Shift + .

If it's not existing, you have to create .bash_profile on your own.

Open terminal app and switch into user folder with simple command:

cd

If it's not existing, use this command to create the file:

touch .bash_profile

STEP 2

If you can't memorise the nerdy commands for save and close in vim, nano etc (the way recommended above) the easiest way to edit is to open .bash_profile (or the .zshenv) file in your favored code editor (Sublime, Visual Studio Code, etc.).

Finder -> User folder. Right click -> open with : Visual Studio Code (or other code editor). Or drag it on app in dock.

… and there you can edit it, pass export commands in new lines.