Provide standard file for sourcing environment variables

[kurtharriger]

When installing some packages, such as groovy, it suggests that you setup additional environment variables.

==> Caveats
You should set the environment variable GROOVY_HOME to
/Users/kurtharriger/local/homebrew/Cellar/groovy/1.8.1/libexec

/Users/kurtharriger/local/homebrew/Cellar/groovy/1.8.1/libexec

It would be great if I could add one line to my profile to setup configure all homebrew recipes such as:
HOMEBREW_HOME=~/local/homebrew
source $HOMEBREW_HOME/etc/environment

This script could add homebrew to my path and source additional scripts from each installed recipe to define these environment variables for me, then I wont forget to add them and/or remove them.

[Zearin]

Awesome idea!

+1!

[adamv]

@jacknagel @Sharpie - my preference on this one is "no", since it adds complexity vs. users manually editing shell profiles.

But I'm open to suggestion, since we are slowly increasing brew's complexity.

[Sharpie]

But I'm open to suggestion, since we are slowly increasing brew's complexity.

Same here. I'm a "no" vote unless someone presents a simple system that cleans up after its self when uninstalling.

[jacknagel]

"no" as well, seems like more trouble than it is worth. Editing config files is simple enough.

[kurtharriger]

Because its complex we should make the user do it instead of the tool and make the user remember to do the cleanup after removal... Sounds backwards to me. Should read because its complex we should automate this stuff so the user doesnt even need to think about it.
Honestly though i dont think this is complex. The way I do this in my own .profile is to create a .profile.d folder and source every file in that folder. The same could be done here each recipe can create a link in homebrew/etc/env.d and the environment script would simply source each file in that folder. It doesnt need to be perfect, if the user wants more control of the process they can choose not to source the environment script and continue to do things manually. If these are just links homebrew can check for and remove broken links after removing a recipe.

[jacknagel]

"Patches welcome." :)

[kurtharriger]

Fair enough.

[Sharpie]

Because its complex we should make the user do it instead of the tool and make the user remember to do the cleanup after removal... Sounds backwards to me. Should read because its complex we should automate this stuff so the user doesnt even need to think about it.

Not exactly. Because it is so complex, we're not willing to risk putting Homebrew into a half-broken state and increase our maintenance burden.

We would be willing to look at a good patch though.