xterm's $PATH setting differs from the console $PATH. In console, bash reads /etc/profile, ~/.bash_profile and other config files and sets its enviroment variables. In xterm, bash sets $PATH to "/etc:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/ucb", which is very strange to me.
Why is it so? Where is this setting from? How can I change it?

A lot of other environment variables [like $PS1] are just missing. This is not a big deal, I can always do "source /etc/profile" and "source ~/bash_profile" to get my variables back, but there must be a way to set them permanently.

Any hints?

Put what you need into .bashrc in your home directory.

For more information on which bash configuration files are used when, do this at the command prompt:

Hope this helps.

Oh Thanks a lot!!!
It's only now that I see the difference between login and non-login shell. It's solved!
Thanks again.

Vitalie CIUBOTARU