2

History: I had installed Selenium (java_home was already taking care of and working). Now I was installing Android Studio(mac) and needed to adjust the env for Java_home. First I typed:

  • set Android_home
  • export Android_home=/Library/Android/Home
  • echo Android_home

then:

  • nano .bash_profile

Adding Android_home.

  • export Android_home=/Users/<username>/Library/Android/sdk
  • export PATH=$PATH:$Android_home/tools
  • export PATH=$PATH:$Android_home/tools/bin
  • export PATH=$PATH:$Android_home/platform-tools

Lastly: $ source .bash_profile

Then closed everything, reopened the terminal. The terminal instantly was running this one particular line (infinite-wise).

-bash: export: 'PATH/bin': not a valid identifier

error in terminal

After a short while, it changes to

--bash: export: 'PATH/bin': not a valid identifier

--bash: /usr/libexec/java_home: Argument list too long

Thank you for taking the time to read my question. [this is my first question ever. Apologies for newbee mistakes. ]

.bash_profile [Opened text editor, pressed Command + Shift + > to show hidden files.]

Export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)
PATH="/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/bin:${PATH}"
export PATH

export MONGO_PATH=/usr/local/mongodb
export PATH=$PATH:$MONGO PATH/bin
export Android_home=/Users/<username>/Library/Android/sdk
export PATH=$PATH:$Android_home/tools
export PATH=$PATH:$Android_home/tools/bin
export PATH=$PATH:$Android_home/platform-tools
source .bash_profile

Update: To isolate the problem further I commented everything out in bash_profile except one, Java:

  • export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH
  • export JAVA_HOME=/usr/libexec/java_home
  • export JAVA_HOME=/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8

Now run echo $PATH Result: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_181.jdk/Contents/Home/bin:/ over and over gain

another example: I commented everything out in bash_profile except one:

  • export PATH=$PATH:/bin

save > close terminal > re-open > check the change with

  • echo $PATH

all the terminal shows is this repetition/loop

  • /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/bin:/bin:/bin:/bin:/bin:/bin:/bin:/bin:....endless bin

one more observation

In the very beginning, when I open the terminal, something is running in the background which prevents me from typing something into the terminal. I need to press control + c to stop it. Couldn't find out what process this is.

Is it possible that the .bash_profile or etc/paths is in conflict with .profile ?

In.profileis only one PATH:

(export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH)

3
  • Apologies about the confusion. I will leave the question on how to find the bash_profile file without the terminal as closed/answered and move on, opening a the follow up /underlying question: what causes the infinite loop.
    – MyKMyk
    Apr 2, 2019 at 19:51
  • debug the startup file(s) is the core issue, indeed. Accepting your answer was my response since you helped solving a part of the issue. I didn't know that this was handled so narrow. This feels like conversations/comments on JIRA - One ticket, one issue. I will keep this in mind.
    – MyKMyk
    Apr 2, 2019 at 20:24
  • I read chameleon link: I am new, I don't have a degree in computer science. I took a few classes (C++, Java): super bad vibes. There was this constant underlying theme in class who is smart, who knows more which was killing the atmosphere, the flow, just toxic. I am a humanist, my first foreign language was ancient Latin (for 7 years) - meaning in the literal meaning of intelligent I learned how detect an intellect with certain sensitivities versus a curious mind seeking answers. In regard to some comments there, I am a bit shocked. I think, I have an idea now where you are coming from. Thx
    – MyKMyk
    Apr 2, 2019 at 20:40

4 Answers 4

1

The most likely cause is you have problems with exports in your .bashrc or .bash_profile eg, export PATH=PATH/bin which should be export PATH=$PATH:/bin.
In order to change this outside of the Terminal, you can use Command+Shift+. to toggle hidden files in finder to allow you to edit with TextEdit or another editor.

10
  • Try looking at the files you changed in text-edit then if you can't change them from the terminal Mar 27, 2019 at 21:13
  • Terminal was indeed my first idea - but again I can't. Maybe I delete java first (without terminal), reinstall and hope that the uninstall was clean enough to allow me to reinstall without the past setup. I can use the text editor but I don't know where I can find the java folder without the finder (newbee in the mac universe). How would I find /usr/libexec/java_home or `PATH/bin' without the terminal?
    – MyKMyk
    Mar 27, 2019 at 21:38
  • What files did you change in the Android download? And to go to the java folder you can use Shift-Command-G to go to files in finder, or the "go" menu and then the second to last entry. Mar 27, 2019 at 21:46
  • Open the profile in textedit by pressing Shift+Command+. (in Finder) in your home directory, then you should be able to open it in textedit Mar 27, 2019 at 21:58
  • @KamilMaciorowski done, ty!
    – MyKMyk
    Mar 27, 2019 at 22:02
0

I changed in the .bash_profile the

  • export PATH=$PATH:/bin

    to

  • export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"

and the system is back to normal.

0
0

If I'm following correctly, you have the following line in your ~/.bash_profile:

source .bash_profile

The source command will load and process the cont content of the indicated file, which means that when the terminal starts it sources ~/.bash_profile, which then sources ~/.bash_profile, which then sources ~/.bash_profile, etc...

Removing that line will probably solve your issues.

1
  • Thanks for pointing this out. First I didn't realize the impact of this line. So I uninstalled java, reinstalled it and started with the bash_profile from the beginning. When I googled the issue/ youtubed it, ect. didn't find a lot of answers. I ended up leaving out source .bash_profile. Terminal stopped running the lines. Again, thanks for explaining this. Do you recommend a good source to look up the whole environment variables spiel?
    – MyKMyk
    Apr 10, 2019 at 0:18
0

export PATH="/usr/local/bin"

fix your problem

1
  • 1
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