.bash_profile should be sourced only by terminal bash sessions. X session is different. To make personalized X sessions use file ~/.xsession and put personal variables there. Last command in this file should be X session manager, X window manager or some X client you want to run. Usually maybe just "x-session-manager" which launches your system's default X session manager. If you're using kdm as your session manager (graphical login screen), you must select "Default" session.
Example ~/.xsession file: MYVARIABLE=myvalue export MYVARIABLE x-session-manager -- .bash_profile is not sources when X session starts https://launchpad.net/bugs/66004 -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
