/etc/environment and /etc/profile.d/* ignored for the root user [duplicate]

Question

How do I set global environment variables in Ubuntu, in such a way, that they would apply also to root user?

Setting PATH or JAVA_HOME in /etc/environment
or in /etc/profile.d/my_settings.sh
both works for usual user, but not for root.

I'm logging in as root using sudo bash or sudo zsh.

NOTE: using Ubuntu 10.04.

aquaherd · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-26 09:27:30Z

12

You will need to get into a real root login shell:

sudo su -

answered Sep 26, 2011 at 9:27

aquaherd

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I get an error: "Sorry, user [...] is not allowed to execute '/bin/su' as root on [...]"
– Ivivi Vavava
Sep 26, 2011 at 10:37
Have you used sudo before su?
– enzotib
Sep 26, 2011 at 16:47
7

sudo -i also works.
– elmicha
Sep 26, 2011 at 17:39
1

@AleksandrDubinsky sudo su without the hyphen (not an en-dash or em-dash; that could break things) does not execute /etc/profile, which does not answer OP's question
– Doktor J
Jul 8, 2016 at 17:49

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