Permanently add a directory to PYTHONPATH?

Question

Whenever I use sys.path.append, the new directory will be added. However, once I close python, the list will revert to the previous (default?) values. How do I

Answer 1

You could add the path via your pythonrc file, which defaults to ~/.pythonrc on linux. ie.

import sys
sys.path.append('/path/to/dir')

You could also set the PYTHONPATH environment variable, in a global rc file, such ~/.profile on mac or linux, or via Control Panel -> System -> Advanced tab -> Environment Variables on windows.