How do I reset the $PATH variable on Mac OS X?
If you have a ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist file, check it to see if it provides a default PATH value.
If it is in XML format (plists can be in many formats), you can edit with any text editor. Check it with plutil -lint ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist if you edit it by hand.
Or, you can use commands like defaults or PlistBuddy to make controlled modifications to XML or binary format plist files.
You can always set your own PATH in any of your shell's initialization files.
Put something like the following in your of your shell's startup files (.bashrc, or .bash_profile/.bash_login/.profile):
PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
export PATH
# add custom, local installations to PATH
PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:"$PATH"
# add MacPorts to PATH
PATH=/opt/local/bin:/opt/local/sbin:"$PATH"
That will override whatever default PATH is set when the shell starts (the first PATH= does not use $PATH, so it will always start out with only whatever you give it).
Only one of the ‘login’ files will ever be used (the first one that exists and is readable of ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bash_login, and ~/.profile will be used). .profile is for backwards compatibility with other shells—if you use it, be sure to keep it free of syntax that is specific to bash. If you go with .bash_login or .bash_profile (they are functionally equivalent except for the names), then use a line like [[ -e ~/.bashrc -a -r ~/.bashrc ]] && source ~/.bashrc ]] near the top so that login shells will also get the customizations made in your .bashrc.
If you want all instances of bash to have the same PATH, then use .bashrc. If you often find yourself interactively modifying a single shell's PATH from the command line and want to use that modified PATH in subshells (a cases that is probably not terribly common), then you should put the statements in one of the ‘login’ files instead. Pick only one of the login files and use it.
1.Open your terminal
2.You could firstly just check your current $PATH, type
echo $PATH
to terminal
3.If the $PATH that terminal gave back is the path you want, then you are good; if not, type
export PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
, then type
touch ~/.bash_profile
, and then type
open ~/.bash_profile
, you will then find a EditText open up, now type the path you want in that EditText; For instance, type
PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
(which is the default $PATH for mac, considering you want to reset the $PATH so you should probably type this), save it, and then close EditText, then close Terminal.
4.Now you have already changed your $PATH or reset to the mac's default $PATH!