Linux – How to get ssh to read the destination’s `.bashrc`

arch linuxbashlinuxssh

I have two Linux computers at work, a desktop and a laptop, running Openssh under Arch Linux. Under my standard logins, I have a customized .bashrc file inside my home folder on both computers.

Here's the question: When I ssh to the desktop, I'm presented with a pretty customized bash (meaning the .bashrc file has been read). When I ssh to the laptop, I'm presented with a plain and gray bash, and I have to manually run exec bash (so it will read my custom .bashrc). Why?

I must have configured something different on one of these computers that's causing the difference, but I can't figure out what. The ssh command I'm running is a simple ssh username@host (with a clean .ssh/config file) in both cases.

Note: There is already a question asking how to use your .bashrc over ssh, I'm not asking that. I just want to know why one of the hosts is using it, but the other isn't.

Best Answer

Does the .bash_profile (or .profile if .bash_profile does not exist) run . .bashrc or source .bashrc at some point? If not, then your .bashrc will not be used when logging in via ssh, as ssh always starts bash as a "login" shell, which never reads .bashrc by default.

Related Solutions

Linux – aliases in .bashrc

iman453, the files need to be named .bashrc and .bash_profile. The period before the file means it is hidden. Any idea what version of Unix or Linux the build server is running?

In my home directory I have

.
|-- .bash_history
|-- .bash_logout
|-- .bash_profile
|-- .bashrc
|-- .mozilla
|   |-- extensions
|   `-- plugins
|-- .ssh
|   |-- .config
|   |-- authorized_keys
|   |-- authorized_keys2
|   `-- known_hosts
|-- .viminfo
|-- .vimrc

The contents of my .bashrc file are:

# .bashrc

# Source global definitions
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
        . /etc/bashrc
fi

# User specific aliases and functions
alias chknag='sudo /usr/local/nagios/bin/nagios -v /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg'
alias ducks='sudo du -cksh * | sort -n | head -50'

The contents of .bash_profile:

# .bash_profile

# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
        . ~/.bashrc
fi

# User specific environment and startup programs

PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin

export PATH

When I SSH into this machine after I authenticate I have access to the alias ducks.

How to get SSH working on Linux laptop

sshd re-exec requires execution with an absolute path"

For that part, run it with a full path, for example

/usr/sbin/sshd

instead of just sshd

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Linux – aliases in .bashrc

How to get SSH working on Linux laptop

Related Question