#ifdef linux

Quiz How many attributes of a processes "environment" can you think of besides its environment variables? I'm using the term "environment" in a very loose sense here to mean "any system or process level attribute that can be queried via system calls or library calls (or " /proc -picking ") that affects a running process". I'm also including details of the process itself and details of the program that came to be a running process. We're not talking about installed packages or application configuration files in /etc here, but purely low-level program, process and system meta-data. I've got over 20 items in my list excluding environment variables. Whilst you're pondering on that... Compare and Contrast If you've been involved with computers for any appreciable length of time, chances are you have come across the scenario where some program fails to run in a particular environment, but works "perfectly...

If you run any chroot environments such as schroot, they will generally set your prompt as a reminder that you are actually running within a chroot. For example with schroot, I have: $ schroot -c oneiric (oneiric):~$ echo hello hello (oneiric):~$ exit $ When you're in the chroot, you get the chroot name prepended to the prompt (here " (oneiric) "). But if you play tricks with your prompt variables ( PS1 , PS2 , etc) using maybe the magic bash PROMPT_COMMAND variable, you need to take care. I use screen , tmux , or byobu so need to take twice the amount of care since: I modify my prompt quite extensively I only have 1 window which multiplexes all my terminals (it's easier to make a mistake :) The problem is that if you forget which window you're in, you may end up modifying the wrong environment - installing packages in a minimal chroot rather than in your main (non-chroot) environment, or maybe trashing your live system rather than a throw-away chroot...