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Programs like RVM add a .bash_profile file so you should be sure to append [[ -s ${HOME}/.profile ]] && source ${HOME}/.profile to the added .bash_profile file.

You can also rename .profile to .bash_profile on Ubuntu and Debian. All other distros that I've encountered set up .bash_profile by default.

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.profile works nicer if you run another Shell, I presume, so can be added to every users home directory upon creation and not just to those of Bash users.

What I don’t get is why RVM adds a .bash_profile, when there is, for example, /etc/profile.d/.

Ubuntu uses .profile when you login via gdm (i.e., graphically).

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