Please consider the following /root/.profile: export PS1=value1 export x=value2 How come the login shell shows the expected prompt (and $x as value2), while the subshells keep showing $x as value2 but $PS1 as '#'? Just in case, I'm trying this under OpenBSD. [Yeah, I know... What on earth am I doing with OpenBSD if I don't know this? Just toying... in an isolated, most definitely non-production VM =).]